LA Times Crossword Answers 5 Oct 13, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Mark Bickham
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 16m 03s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. “The Matrix Reloaded” actress Pinkett Smith JADA
Jada Pinkett Smith is an actress from Baltimore, Maryland. Pinkett Smith’s most famous role is the human rebel Niobe in “The Matrix” series of movies. Back in 1990, she auditioned for the TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, to play the girlfriend of the character played by Will Smith. She didn’t get the role but did get Will Smith, as the couple were married in 1997.

5. Site of many rolls CRAPS TABLE
If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. Craps may be derived from an old English game called “hazard”, also played with two dice and which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.

15. Asian sea ARAL
The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet Union irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

16. One of Sophocles’ Theban plays OEDIPUS REX
“Oedipus Rex” (also “Oedipus the King”) is a tragedy penned by the Ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The play tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes king of Thebes. Famously, Oedipus was destined from birth to murder his father and marry his mother.

Sophocles was one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived. The first of these was Aeschylus, the second Sophocles, and the third Euripides. Sophocles is believed to have written 123 plays, the most famous of which are “Antigone” and “Oedipus the King”.

22. Edible Andean tubers OCAS
The plant called an oca is also known as the New Zealand Yam. The tubers of the oca are used as a root vegetable.

23. Cindy Bear’s boyfriend YOGI
The cartoon character Yogi Bear made his debut for Hanna-Barbera in 1958 on “The Huckleberry Hound Show” before he was given his own series. Do you remember that collar that Yogi wore around his neck? That was a little trick from the animators. By using the collar, for many frames all they had to do was redraw everything from the collar up, saving them lots and lots of time.

24. It may be thrown in THE TOWEL
The expression “to throw in the towel” means “to give up”, and of course comes from the world of boxing. In boxing, when someone in the corner feels that a fight needs to be stopped, he or she throws a towel into the ring and accepts the loss. Back in the 1700s, it wasn’t a towel that was thrown into the ring, but rather a sponge.

28. Strauss’ “__ Rosenkavalier” DER
“Der Rosenkavalier” is a comic opera composed by Richard Strauss, with the title translating as “The Knight of the Rose”.

31. Duke Frederick’s daughter in “As You Like It” CELIA
In the play “As You Like It”, there is a speech that yields one of the most-quoted phrases written by William Shakespeare, namely “all the world’s a stage”:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:

35. At sea DISCOMBOBULATED
To discombobulate is to faze or disconcert, to confuse. Back in the 1800s, the term used was “discombobricate”.

41. 1978 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year LOPEZ
Nancy Lopez is an American professional golfer and winner of 48 LPGA Tour events. Lopez turned professional in 1997 and retired in 2003. However, she came out of retirement in 2007 and is still playing today.

43. N.C. State is in it ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

46. Former Prussian province SAXONY
Saxony was the name given at different times in history to states along the Elbe river in central Europe. As the various states broke up, they spawned many duchies that retained the name “Saxe”. The most famous of these duchies was probably Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, two united duchies in Germany that ceased to exist after WWII. A notable branch of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha House is the British Royal Family, as Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. King George V of the United Kingdom changed the name of the family to the House of Windsor in a politically sensible move during WWI.

52. Buck back? -AROO
The American English word “buckaroo” comes from “vaquero”, the Spanish for cowboy.

53. When Annie sings “Maybe” ACT I
Maybe “Maybe” isn’t the best-known of all the songs in the musical “Annie”, but it is the one that is sung most often during the show. “Maybe” opens the first act and is reprised at the end of the same act. It is reprised again at the opening of the second act, and once more near the end of the show. The big hit from “Annie” is the song called “Tomorrow”.

54. Skit site, for short SNL
“Saturday Night Live” (SNL)

57. Showmanship RAZZMATAZZ
Razzmatazz is a flashy maneuver designed to perhaps deceive or just bedazzle. “Razzmatazz” perhaps came from the similar term “razzle-dazzle”, and has been around since the end of the 19th century.

61. Trooper relative ISUZU RODEO
The Rodeo is a compact SUV that was produced by Isuzu for the North American market. At the same time, the Isuzu Rodeo name was used on compact pickup trucks sold in Japan.

62. Common subject in “The Far Side” COWS
“The Far Side” is a cartoon series drawn by Gary Larson. It ran from 1980 to 1995, and continues today in reruns in many papers. A lot of “The Far Side” cartoons feature animals, often in outrageous, human-like situations. Larson was so popular with people working with animals that in 1989 a newly discovered insect species was named Strigiphilus garylarsoni. How cool is that?

64. Granny __ KNOT
The “granny knot” is related to the “reef knot” in that both are doubled overhand knots. The granny knot is formed by tying two left-handed (or two right-handed) overhand knots. The reef knot is formed by tying a right-handed and then a left-handed overhand knot (or viceversa). As a former sailor, I can attest that it is important to use a reef knot rather than a granny knot, as a granny knot is very difficult to untie whereas a reef knot is secure, yet can be released relatively easily.

Down
4. Older brother of designers Vasco and Rodolfo ALDO GUCCI
Gucci was founded in Rome in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Gruccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.

5. Lock arrangement COIF
A coif is a hairdo. The term “coif” comes from an old French term “coife” used for a skull-cap that was worn under a helmet back in the late 13th century.

7. Recipe phrase A DASH
In cooking, a “dash” is a very small measure, one that is often undefined. However, you can in fact obtain measuring spoons that define not only a dash, but also a “pinch” and a “smidgen” as follows:

– a dash is 1/8 teaspoon
– a pinch is 1/16 teaspoon
– a smidgen is 1/32 teaspoon

8. Edged with shears, as cloth PINKED
Pinking shears are scissors that have sawtooth edges so that they cut in a zigzag pattern. It’s possible that the term “pinking” comes from the carnation flower, which is also called a “pink”. The pink/carnation has flowers with serrated edges that are similar to edges formed by pinking shears.

20. Warm-colored gem FIRE OPAL
Fire opals are almost transparent, unlike other opals that are richly iridescent. Although almost transparent, fire opals usually have a warm yellow, orange or red color. The most famous fire opals are also called Mexican fire opals, and come from the state of Querétaro in north-central Mexico.

24. Oakland paper, familiarly TRIB
The “Oakland Tribune” has been published since 1874, although back then it was called the “Oakland Daily Tribune”.

27. Titular Wes Craven street ELM
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is a Wes Craven slasher-horror film, released in 1984. As I don’t do “slasher” nor “horror” I only learned recently that Johnny Depp was in the movie, making his feature film debut.

32. 2011 Huffington Post acquirer AOL
“The Huffington Post” is a news website founded in 2005 by Arianna Huffington. It is a very active site, with 3,000 people contributing blog posts (including many celebrities and politicians), and readers leaving over one million comments every month. “The Huffington Post” was sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million, with Arianna Huffington staying on as editor-in-chief.

34. Fayetteville athlete RAZORBACK
The Razorbacks are the sports teams of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Razorback is a type of pig, a wild hog.

35. SADD focus DUI
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) was founded in Massachusetts in 1981. SADD’s aim is to prevent road traffic accidents by urging students to avoid potentially destructive decisions (such as driving under the influence of alcohol).

37. Noble pets of imperial China SHIH TZUS
The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest breeds of dog, a breed that originated in China. Shih Tzus have long hairy coats but they don’t shed.

38. Admired speaker BOSE
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, and is a company that specializes in manufacture of audio equipment.

44. Brother of Lucrezia Borgia CESARE
The Borgias were a Papal family that was very prominent during the Renaissance in Europe. Two of the Borgias became popes, namely Pope Calixtus III and Pope Alexander VI. Pope Alexander VI had several children, including Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. Cesare became a cardinal, and was the first cardinal to resign from the post. Lucrezia earned a reputation as a femme fatale, and as such turns up in many artworks, novels and movies.

45. Epic poem divisions CANTOS
A canto is a section of a long poem, and is a term first used by the Italian poet Dante. “Canto” is the Italian for “song”.

47. Antiviral brand NORTON
Norton Antivirus software is produced by Symantec. The Norton brand name originated with Peter Norton Computing, a company that Symantec acquired in 1990. Peter Norton’s most famous product was Norton Utilities, and he never produced an antivirus application. Symantec decided to use the respected Norton brand for the antivirus product that it developed and introduced in 1991.

51. Noddy Holder’s rock group SLADE
Slade is a favorite band from my youth, a rock band from the north of England who made it big during the seventies. One of Slade’s hallmark marketing techniques was a deliberate misspelling of their song titles. Some of those titles are: “Merry Xmas Everybody”, “Gudbuy T’Jane” and my personal favorite “Cum On Feel the Noize”.

Noddy Holder was lead vocalist and guitarist with the fabulous English rock band called Slade. As well as being a very successful songwriter and performer, Holder also has a great sense of humor. After spending 25 years with Slade, he carved out a career as radio and television personality.

53. Onassis et al. ARIS
Aristotle Onassis was born to a successful Greek shipping entrepreneur in Smyrna in modern-day Turkey. However, his family lost its fortune during WWI and so Aristotle worked with his father to build up a new business empire centered on the importation of tobacco. In 1957, Aristotle founded the Greek national airline, what is today called Olympic Air, and he also got into the business of shipping oil around the world. He married Athina Livanos in 1946, the daughter of a wealthy shipping magnate. They had two children, including the famous Christina Onassis. Livanos divorced Onassis on discovering him in bed with the opera singer Maria Callas. Onassis ended his affair with Callas in order to marry Jackie Kennedy in 1968.

55. __ Center: former N.J. Nets home IZOD
The Izod Center is an arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. When the facility opened in 1981, it was known officially as the Brendan Byrne Arena, after the Governor of New Jersey at that time. Most people referred to the arena as “the Meadowlands”.

58. Ornamental flower MUM
Chrysanthemums are perennial flowering plants that are often called “mums”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “The Matrix Reloaded” actress Pinkett Smith JADA
5. Site of many rolls CRAPS TABLE
15. Asian sea ARAL
16. One of Sophocles’ Theban plays OEDIPUS REX
17. Brought up BRED
18. “Been there” I CAN RELATE
19. Walked to the gangplank, say SAW OFF
21. One in a rack, maybe SKI
22. Edible Andean tubers OCAS
23. Cindy Bear’s boyfriend YOGI
24. It may be thrown in THE TOWEL
26. Less enthused SOURER
28. Strauss’ “__ Rosenkavalier” DER
29. Toss up LOB
31. Duke Frederick’s daughter in “As You Like It” CELIA
33. Bowl, e.g. ARENA
35. At sea DISCOMBOBULATED
40. Nerdy UNHIP
41. 1978 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year LOPEZ
42. Ristorante suffix -INI
43. N.C. State is in it ACC
46. Former Prussian province SAXONY
49. “Give me a break!” OH PLEASE!
52. Buck back? -AROO
53. When Annie sings “Maybe” ACT I
54. Skit site, for short SNL
55. Saturate IMBRUE
57. Showmanship RAZZMATAZZ
60. “__ girl!” ATTA
61. Trooper relative ISUZU RODEO
62. Common subject in “The Far Side” COWS
63. Bit of bun flavoring SESAME SEED
64. Granny __ KNOT

Down
1. Short blows JABS
2. Decks out ARRAYS
3. Dismantled Korean automaker DAEWOO
4. Older brother of designers Vasco and Rodolfo ALDO GUCCI
5. Lock arrangement COIF
6. Cam button REC
7. Recipe phrase A DASH
8. Edged with shears, as cloth PINKED
9. Elf SPRITE
10. Calendar abbr. TUE
11. Comparatively base AS LOW
12. Place for an allergy alert BRACELET
13. Not to mention LET ALONE
14. They used to be together EXES
20. Warm-colored gem FIRE OPAL
24. Oakland paper, familiarly TRIB
25. Degree hurdle ORAL EXAM
27. Titular Wes Craven street ELM
30. Harmful BAD
32. 2011 Huffington Post acquirer AOL
34. Fayetteville athlete RAZORBACK
35. SADD focus DUI
36. Never IN NO CASE
37. Noble pets of imperial China SHIH TZUS
38. Admired speaker BOSE
39. __ tree UP A
44. Brother of Lucrezia Borgia CESARE
45. Epic poem divisions CANTOS
47. Antiviral brand NORTON
48. Couple’s address YOU TWO
50. Pie not served for dessert PIZZA
51. Noddy Holder’s rock group SLADE
53. Onassis et al. ARIS
55. __ Center: former N.J. Nets home IZOD
56. Word with Side or End EAST
58. Ornamental flower MUM
59. Series finale ZEE

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