LA Times Crossword Answers 12 Oct 13, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Barry C. Silk
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 20m 36s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Home to Iran’s Iron Age Museum TABRIZ
Tabriz is a large city in the very northwest of Iran that once served as the country’s capital.

7. Like some closet findings? SKELETAL
The idiom “skeleton in the closet” means “secret to hide”. On the other side of the Atlantic, the concept is more likely to be expressed as “skeleton in the cupboard”.

15. Time’s 1986 Woman of the Year AQUINO
Corazon Aquino was the first woman to hold the office of President of the Philippines. She led the popular revolt against President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 which led to the restoration of democracy in the country. She came to lead the movement against Marcos upon the assassination of her husband, the most visible opponent of Marcos. She took to the role reluctantly, proclaiming herself a “plain housewife”. I had the privilege to live in the Philippines for a couple of years when Aquino’s successor Ferdinand Ramos was in power. Based on what I learned there, President Aquino had transformed the country.

“Time” magazine started naming a “Man of the Year” in 1927, only changing the concept to “Person of the Year” in 1999. Prior to 1999, the magazine did recognize four females as “Woman of the Year”: Wallis Simpson (1936), Soong May-ling a.k.a. Madame Chiang Kai-shek (1937), Queen Elizabeth II (1952) and Corazon Aquino (1986). “Time” named Albert Einstein as Person of the Century in 1999, with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi as runners-up.

18. The Joker or The Penguin EVILDOER
The Joker is one of the most colorful of Batman’s nemeses, introduced into the comic books in 1940, appearing in the first ever edition of “Batman”. He has been played on screen by some colorful characters. In the original television series he was portrayed by Cesar Romero, and on the big screen by Jack Nicholson. What great casting!

The Penguin is an enemy of Batman in the comic book series and its spinoffs. The villain first appeared in 1941 and was inspired by the advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes at that time, a penguin with a hat and cane. Famously, the Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith in “Batman” TV series in the 1960s. The character was also portrayed by Danny DeVito in the 1992 film “Batman Returns”.

19. Steep-angle shot MASSE
In billiards, a massé shot is one in which the cue ball makes an extreme curve due to the player imparting heavy spin on the ball with his or her cue.

20. Kuala Lumpur native MALAYSIAN
The capital city of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, very often abbreviated to K.L. The name “Kuala Lumpur” translates into English as “muddy estuary”. Famously, K.L. is home to the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers, currently the tallest twin towers in the world and the tallest of any building from 1998 to 2004.

22. Hero who first appeared in 1912 TARZAN
“Tarzan” is the title character in the series of books created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The line “Me Tarzan, you Jane” never appeared in the books, and indeed doesn’t even figure in the movies. Apparently Johnny Weissmuller (who played Tarzan in the thirties and forties) saw Maureen O’Sullivan (“Jane”, to Weissmuller’s “Tarzan”) struggling with a suitcase in the parking lot during filming. He grabbed the bag from her, jokingly saying “Me Tarzan, you Jane”, and people have been quoting those words ever since.

25. Hustles HIES
“To hie” is to move quickly, to bolt.

27. Card, e.g. NLER
The St. Louis Cardinals were originally called the “Brown Stockings”, changing their name to the “Perfectos” in 1899. The new name obviously didn’t go down well with the locals, as the owners changed it one year later to the Cardinals.

30. Jellyfish relatives ANEMONES
The name “anemone” means “daughter of the wind” in Greek, and at one time it was believed that the wind was what actually caused the flower to bloom. The sea anemone is named for the terrestrial plant even though it isn’t a plant at all. The sea anemone is a predatory animal found on the ocean floor.

32. Year in Nero’s reign LVI
The Roman emperor Nero had quite the family life. When Nero was just 16-years-old he married his stepsister, Claudia Octavia. He also had his mother and step-brother executed.

33. University of Wyoming city LARAMIE
A French (or French-Canadian) trapper named Jacques LaRemie came to the area surrounding modern-day Laramie in the late 1810s, one of the first Europeans to visit. One day he disappeared without trace in the backcountry, but his name survives as it’s used for the Laramie Mountains, Laramie River, and ultimately the city of Laramie, Wyoming.

34. Guatemalan currency, or the colorful bird it’s named for QUETZAL
The quetzal is a spectacular looking bird, with bright green and red coloring which makes it surprisingly difficult to spot in its woodland habitat. The name “quetzal” translates into English as “large brilliant tail feather”. “Quetzal” is also the name of the currency of Guatemala. The quetzal is the country’s national bird and in ancient Mayan culture, the bird’s feathers were used as currency.

38. Capital of 35-Down ZEE
(35D. Hwange National Park setting ZIMBABWE)
The capital letter of the word “Zimbabwe” is the letter Z (zee).

39. Ratatouille ingredient ZUCCHINI
The zucchini is one of those vegetables that strictly speaking is a fruit, in this case an immature fruit. The name “zucchini” that is used in North America comes from the Italian name “zucchina”, which translates as “small pumpkin”. In Britain and Ireland we call the same vegetable a “courgette”, the French name.

40. Quaker in the woods ASPEN
The “quaking” aspen tree is so called because the structure of the leaves causes them to move easily in the wind, to “tremble, quake”.

44. Revival figs. EMTS
Emergency medical technician (EMT)

45. STARZ competitor SHO
Showtime (SHO) is a competitor of the Movie Channel (TMC) in terms of program lineup, although both channels are in fact owned by CBS.

The Starz premium cable channel is owned by the same company that owns the Encore cable channel. Starz was launched in 1994 and mainly shows movies.

46. Tapped trees MAPLES
About 75% of the world’s maple syrup comes from the province of Quebec. The US’s biggest producer is the state of Vermont, which produces 5-6% of the world’s supply.

55. Jazz pianist Hancock HERBIE
Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist from Chicago who was notably a member of Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet. Hancock started out as a classical pianist, and was considered to be a child prodigy. IN 1952 when he was 11 years old, Hancock played the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

57. Like some biblical boarders IN TWOS
Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3 Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

Down
1. Monument on the Yamuna River TAJ MAHAL
The Yamuna in northern India is a tributary of the River Ganges. 70% of the water supplied to the city of Delhi comes from the Yamuna. The Taj Mahal in Agra is located on the river’s banks.

2. Maker of FlavorSplash beverages AQUAFINA
Aquafina is Pepsico brand of bottled water. The beverage is just plain old municipal water that has been purified.

6. Ballet-dancing Muppet ZOE
The muppet called Zoe is a young orange monster that appears on “Sesame Street”. Zoe is best friends with Elmo. She is a great lover of ballet and always appears wearing a tutu.

8. Defensive fiber KEVLAR
Kevlar is a remarkably strong synthetic fiber that was introduced by DuPont in 1965. The material was developed as a lightweight substitute for steel. Kevlar fits the bill, as an equal weight of the synthetic fiber is five times stronger than the alloy. One of the downsides of Kevlar is that its strength degrades when exposed to sunlight.

9. 2-Down alternative EVIAN
Évian-les-Bains (or simply Évian) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As you might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. I can’t stand the taste of Évian water …

11. LAX listings ETDS
Expected time of departure (ETD)

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.

12. One seeking the way? TAOIST
The Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Tao signifies the true nature of the world.

14. “Camelot” lyricist LERNER
Alan Jay Lerner was a lyricist from New York City who was known for his collaboration with Frederick Loewe and Burton Lane. Lerner was also known for his colorful provate life. He was left with a persistent amphetamine addiction after being treated with “vitamins with enzymes” in the sixties, that were actually hypodermic shots laced with amphetamines. He also married eight times, and was often in dire financial straits due to the heavy load of alimony payments.

“Camelot” is a Lerner and Loewe musical based on the legend of King Arthur. The show was first shown on Broadway in 1960 and ran for 873 performances. “Camelot” was made into a very successful film version that was released in 1967 starring Richard Harris as King Arthur.

20. 1957 R&B chart-topper inspired by a schoolteacher MR LEE
The Bobbettes were an R&B girl group from Harlem, New York, formed in 1955. They had a hit in 1957 with the song “Mr. Lee”, a song about a teacher the girls had in real life. In the song, the girl singing has a crush on Mr. Lee, but in actual fact none of the girls liked the teacher who inspired the song. The original lyrics were not complimentary at all, but were changed for the recording. In 1957, the Bobbettes released the original, more insulting version and had a little success with it. It was called “I Shot Mr. Lee” …

23. Hall of fame ANNIE
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.

26. Urban air problem SMAZE
“Smaze” is a weather phenomenon, a smoky haze that is like a fog but less damp. The term is a portmanteau of “smoke” and “haze”.

28. Paris preposition AVEC
“Avec” is the French word for “with”.

32. Money LUCRE
Our word “lucre” meaning “money, profits” comes from the Latin “lucrum” meaning the same thing.

34. Bee output QUILT
Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a “bee”. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a “quilting bee”, or even a “spelling bee”.

35. Hwange National Park setting ZIMBABWE
The country now known as Zimbabwe started out as a British colony called Southern Rhodesia that was named after Cecil Rhodes, the British empire builder.

Hwange National Park is the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe in Africa. The park was founded in 1928 as the Wankie Game Reserve. It is located in the west of the country, on the northeastern edge of the Kalahari Desert.

39. Gentle breezes ZEPHYRS
A zephyr is a gentle breeze, traditionally a light wind from the west. The term comes from the Greek god of the west wind, who was called Zephyrus.

41. 1862 battle site SHILOH
The Battle of Shiloh was a major engagement in the Civil War, fought in 1862 at Pittsburg Landing in southwestern Tennessee. The battle started with a surprise attack by Confederate forces led by Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard. The attackers gained the upper hand on the first day, over the Union forces led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Union reinforcements arrived during the night and the tide of the battle turned the next day and the Confederates were forced to withdraw. Almost 3,000 men died in the course of the Battle of Shiloh, making it the bloodiest battle in US history up to that point in time.

42. Distillery waste POT ALE
“Pot ale” is the name given to the residue left at the bottom of a still in a malt whiskey distillery. Pot ale used to be dumped into rivers, but environmental concerns have led to the pot ale now being further processed for more useful disposal. Most pot ale is now converted into pot ale syrup by evaporation. The pot ale syrup looks and tastes rather like molasses, and is much appreciated by pigs and cattle apparently.

43. 1980s middleweight champ HAGLER
Marvin Hagler is a retired boxer from Newark, New Jersey. Hagler was the World Middleweight Boxing Champion from 1980 to 1987, successfully defending his title twelve times. “Marvelous Marvin” lost his title to Sugar Ray Leonard who came out of retirement for the fight with Hagler. Although the result was much-disputed, Hagler never fought again and turned to a career as an actor and now lives in Italy.

46. One in a humming swarm MIDGE
“Midge” is a familiar term used for many different kinds of small flies.

50. Column-lined walkway STOA
A stoa was a covered walkway in Ancient Greece. A stoa usually consisted of columns lining the side of a building or buildings, with another row of columns defining the other side of the walkway. The columns supported a roof. Often stoae would surround marketplaces in large cities.

53. Deco pseudonym ERTE
Erté was the pseudonym of French artist (Russian born) Romain de Tirtoff. Erté is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.” He is probably best known for his fashion designs that are said by many to epitomise the art deco period.

55. Presley’s “__ Latest Flame” HIS
“(Marie’s the Name”) His Latest Flame” is a hit song for Elvis Presley, recorded in 1961. The song had been released earlier in the same year by Del Shannon, but Presley’s was the version that had real success in the charts.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Home to Iran’s Iron Age Museum TABRIZ
7. Like some closet findings? SKELETAL
15. Time’s 1986 Woman of the Year AQUINO
16. Float, in a way LEVITATE
17. Mix up JUMBLE
18. The Joker or The Penguin EVILDOER
19. Steep-angle shot MASSE
20. Kuala Lumpur native MALAYSIAN
21. Sailor’s direction AFT
22. Hero who first appeared in 1912 TARZAN
24. Needle point? SSE
25. Hustles HIES
27. Card, e.g. NLER
28. Shorten, maybe ALTER
30. Jellyfish relatives ANEMONES
32. Year in Nero’s reign LVI
33. University of Wyoming city LARAMIE
34. Guatemalan currency, or the colorful bird it’s named for QUETZAL
38. Capital of 35-Down ZEE
39. Ratatouille ingredient ZUCCHINI
40. Quaker in the woods ASPEN
43. Next in line HEIR
44. Revival figs. EMTS
45. STARZ competitor SHO
46. Tapped trees MAPLES
48. Risk BET
49. Waits SITS TIGHT
52. Bit of wisdom PEARL
54. How World Series winners celebrate ELATEDLY
55. Jazz pianist Hancock HERBIE
56. Not anymore NO LONGER
57. Like some biblical boarders IN TWOS
58. Play areas THEATERS
59. Directs STEERS

Down
1. Monument on the Yamuna River TAJ MAHAL
2. Maker of FlavorSplash beverages AQUAFINA
3. Piece of crummy advice BUM STEER
4. Kids RIBS
5. Sound, maybe INLET
6. Ballet-dancing Muppet ZOE
7. Lowlifes SLEAZES
8. Defensive fiber KEVLAR
9. 2-Down alternative EVIAN
10. Water __ LILY
11. LAX listings ETDS
12. One seeking the way? TAOIST
13. Not tense AT EASE
14. “Camelot” lyricist LERNER
20. 1957 R&B chart-topper inspired by a schoolteacher MR LEE
23. Hall of fame ANNIE
26. Urban air problem SMAZE
28. Paris preposition AVEC
29. Graceful LITHE
31. It might be a warning OMEN
32. Money LUCRE
34. Bee output QUILT
35. Hwange National Park setting ZIMBABWE
36. Preceding ANTERIOR
37. Dragging LISTLESS
39. Gentle breezes ZEPHYRS
40. Agreement ASSENT
41. 1862 battle site SHILOH
42. Distillery waste POT ALE
43. 1980s middleweight champ HAGLER
46. One in a humming swarm MIDGE
47. Beat SPENT
50. Column-lined walkway STOA
51. Fair sight TENT
53. Deco pseudonym ERTE
55. Presley’s “__ Latest Flame” HIS

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