LA Times Crossword Answers 26 Dec 14, Friday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David Poole
THEME: Beastly Star Signs … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase starting with a type of animal, but that animal has been replaced with its corresponding star sign:

17A. Certain pickup, to an astrologer? ARIES TRUCK (from “Ram truck”)
27A. Gorton’s product, to an astrologer? PISCES STICKS (from “fish sticks”)
44A. Stubborn, to an astrologer? TAURUS-HEADED (from “bullheaded”)
58A. Courageous, to an astrologer? LEO-HEARTED (from “lionhearted”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 07s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

10. RWR successor GHWB
President George H. W. Bush served in the US Navy during WWII. Future President Bush postponed his entry into college after the attack on Pearl Harbor and enlisted in the navy instead. When he earned his wings, he was the youngest aviator in the US Navy at that time.

President Ronald Reagan’s middle name was Wilson, as his mother was born Nelle Wilson.

14. Humdinger LULU
We call a remarkable thing or a person a “lulu”. The term is used in honor of Lulu Hurst, a stage magician active in the 1880s who was also known as the Georgia Wonder.

A “humdinger” or a “pip” is someone or something outstanding. Humdinger is American slang dating back to the early 1900s, originally used to describe a particularly attractive woman.

15. Hamlin of NASCAR DENNY
Denny Hamlin is a NASCAR driver from Tampa, Florida who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing.

16. “Firecracker” singer Lisa LOEB
The singer Lisa Loeb was discovered by actor Ethan Hawke, who lived just across the street from her in New York City. Hawke took a demo of her song “Stay (I Missed You)” and gave it to director Ben Stiller, who in turn used it over the ending credits of his 1994 movie “Reality Bites”. The movie was a hit, the song went to number one, and Loeb became the first artist ever to hit that number one spot without having signed up with a record label. Good for her!

17. Certain pickup, to an astrologer? ARIES TRUCK (from “Ram truck”)
Aries the Ram is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, and is named after the constellation. Your birth sign is Aries if you were born between March 21 and April 20, but if you are an Aries you would know that! “Aries” is the Latin word for “ram”.

Chrysler put ram hood ornaments on all of its Dodge branded vehicles starting in 1933. When the first line of Dodge trucks and vans were introduced in 1981, they were named “Rams” in honor of that hood ornament.

19. Eurasian border river URAL
The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea.

23. CBS franchise since 2000 CSI
The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but seems to be winding down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, is still going strong and has been doing so since 2000.

24. Canadian loc. of the fictional Green Gables PEI
“Anne of Green Gables” is a 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote several sequels to “Anne”, with them all being set on Prince Edward Island (PEI), from where the author hailed.

26. Chicago suburb NILES
The village of Niles is a suburb of Chicago. Niles lies in Niles township, from whence the village gets its name.

27. Gorton’s product, to an astrologer? PISCES STICKS (from “fish sticks”)
The last astrological sign of the zodiac is called Pisces, which is named for the Pisces constellation. “Pisces” is the Latin word for “fish” in the plural (singular “piscis”).

Gorton’s is a supplier of frozen seafood products. The company was founded in 1849 as John Pew & Sons, and merged with a company established by Slade Gordon to give the name used today. Gorton’s famous “fish sticks” were introduced in 1952.

31. Where to find MSFT NASDAQ
The computerized stock trading system known as the NASDAQ was created in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers. NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. NASDAQ was the successor to the over-the-counter (OTC) trading system that was common at the time. OTC trading is done directly between two parties without being facilitated by an exchange.

Microsoft is listed on the NASDAQ as MSFT.

Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen met and became friends in high school. The Gates was three years younger than Allen, but the pair gravitated towards each other due to a shared interest in computers. One of their first programming projects was to create a computerized version of tic-tac-toe, which they did together on a time-shared computer that was donated to the school by the Mothers’ Association. The two parted company when they graduated and went to different colleges, Allen to Washington State and Gates to Harvard. Allen dropped out of school to start work as a programmer, and he later convinced Gates to drop out of Harvard so that they could create Microsoft.

34. Delinquency result, perhaps REPO
If one becomes delinquent with one’s car loan payments, then the car might become a “repo”, become repossessed.

35. Galeón cargo ORO
In Spanish, a galleon (galeón) might carry gold (oro).

36. Not kosher TREF
According to Jewish dietary law, “kosher” food is “fit” to eat, and food that is not kosher is called “treif” (or tref).

37. Dawn goddess EOS
In Greek mythology, Eos is the goddess of the dawn who lived at the edge of the ocean. Eos would wake each morning to welcome her brother Helios the sun. The Roman equivalent of Eos is Aurora.

38. Tea serving? SPOT
I guess the reference here is to the oft quoted English phrase “a spot of tea”. Mind you, I’ve only ever heard that said in jest …

42. People with a maize god AZTECS
The Cinceteteo of Aztec mythology are a series of gods of maize. There are four such gods in all:

– Iztac-Cinteotl (god of white corn)
– Tlatlauhca-Cinteotl (god of red corn)
– Cozauhca-Cinteotl (god of yellow corn)
– Yayauhca-Cinteotl (god of black corn)

44. Stubborn, to an astrologer? TAURUS-HEADED (from “bullheaded”)
Taurus is the second astrological sign of the Zodiac, and those born between the dates April 20 to May 20 are known as “Taureans”. “Taurus” is Latin for “bull”.

47. Entrance to la maison PORTE
In French, the house (la maison) has a door (porte).

48. San Francisco’s __ Hill NOB
Nob Hill is a very elevated and central location in the city of San Francisco. Because of its views of the surrounding city and environs, Nob Hill became a desirable place to live for the wealthy in the 1800s. The area is still one of San Francisco’s most affluent neighborhoods and is home to upscale hotels as well as the magnificent Grace Cathedral. The name “Nob Hill” comes from the slang term for someone who is well-to-do, a “nob”.

49. Guitar wood ASH
Red Ash is also known as Green Ash, and is a deciduous tree. The wood is used to make guitars as a replacement for the more traditional White Ash as it has similar tonal characteristics and is lighter in weight.

52. Richard Crenna played him in the TV miniseries “On Wings of Eagles” ROSS PEROT
“On Wings of Eagles” is a 1986 television miniseries starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Crenna. It tells the story, which is based on fact, of the capture and release of two executives from Ross Perot’s company EDS during the Iranian Revolution. Crenna plays business tycoon H. Ross Perot and Burt Lancaster plays the head of a commando team assigned to rescue the captives. Perot hired best-selling author to write a thriller about the rescue. The result seems to be a sensationalized account of what actually happened in real life, which apparently gets some folks annoyed …

57. Dept. of Labor arm OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1970 during the Nixon administration. OSHA regulates workplaces in the private sector and regulates just one government agency, namely the US Postal Service.

58. Courageous, to an astrologer? LEO-HEARTED (from “lionhearted”)
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 13 to August 23 are Leos.

60. Othello, for one MOOR
The most famous Moor in literature has to be Othello, the title character in William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Othello, the Moor of Venice”. The word “Moor” describes various peoples of North Africa, usually of the Muslim faith. At the height of their geographic influence the Moors occupied much of the Iberian peninsula, calling it Al Andalus (from which modern Andalusia gets its name).

62. Transvaal settler BOER
“Boer” is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for “farmer”, a word that was used to describe the Dutch-speaking people who settled parts of South Africa during the 1700s.

In geographic terms, the Transvaal is an area in modern-day South Africa that lies north of the Vaal River. “Transvaal” translates as “across the Vaal”.

64. O’s, for one ALERS
The Baltimore Orioles (the O’s) were one of the eight charter teams of MLB’s American League, so the franchise dates back to 1901. Prior to 1901, the team has roots in the Minor League Milwaukee Brewers, and indeed entered the American League as the Brewers. In 1902 the Brewers moved to St. Louis and became the Browns. The team didn’t fare well in St. Louis, so when it finally relocated to Baltimore in the early fifties the team changed its name completely, to the Baltimore Orioles. The owners so badly wanted a fresh start that they traded 17 old Browns players with the New York Yankees. The trade didn’t help the team’s performance on the field in those early days, but it did help distance the new team from its past.

65. Mex. title SRTA
Señorita (Srta.) is Spanish and mademoiselle (Mlle.) is French for “Miss”.

Down
1. Vin choice BLANC
“Vin blanc” is French for “white wine”.

2. Greek capital EUROS
The European Union (EU) today stands at a membership of 28 states. The Euro is the official currency of only 18 of the 28. The list of states in the EU that don’t use the Euro includes the UK, Denmark and Sweden.

3. Cover for a crime ALIBI
“Alibi” is the Latin word for “elsewhere” as in, “I claim that I was ‘elsewhere’ when the crime was committed … I have an ‘alibi'”.

5. Summer hours in Chi. CDT
Central Daylight Time (CDT)

7. “Movin’ __”: “The Jeffersons” theme ON UP
“Movin’ On Up” is the theme song for “The Jeffersons” sitcom that was first broadcast in the seventies and eighties.

The very popular sitcom called “The Jeffersons” ran from 1975 until it came to an abrupt end in 1985. CBS cancelled the show without even allowing a series finale that “wrapped things up”. In fact the lead actor, Sherman Hemsley, first learned of the show’s cancellation in the newspaper.

9. Cracker brand since 1904 RYKRISP
RyKrisp is a brand of rye crisp bread that was introduced in 1904 by Swedish immigrant Arvid Peterson. The crisp bread is a Swedish style cracker that is known in Scandinavia as “knäckebröd” meaning “crisp bread”.

10. Squat targets GLUTEI
There are three gluteal muscles in the human body, the largest of which is the gluteus maximus. It’s the gluteus maximus which really dictates the shape and size of the human buttocks. In evolutionary terms, the human “glutes” are larger than those in related species because they play a big role maintaining our erect posture.

11. Daily reading for many HOROSCOPE
A natal horoscope or natal chart is an astrological map that is built around the exact time and location of an individual’s birth. The chart shows the position of the astrologically relevant celestial bodies at that time.

13. Energy-related units: Abbr. BBLS
The volume of one oil barrel is equivalent to 42 US gallons. A barrel is correctly abbreviated to “bbl”. Barrels aren’t really used for transporting crude oil anymore. Instead, oil moves in bulk through pipelines and in tankers. “Barrel” is just a quantity these days.

18. Antique tone SEPIA
Sepia is that lovely rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish.The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

25. Legal title: Abbr. ESQ
The title “esquire” is of British origin and is used differently today depending on whether one is in the US or the UK. Here in America the term is usually reserved for those practicing the law (both male and female). In the UK, “esquire” is a term of gentle respect reserved for a male who has no other title that one can use. So a mere commoner like me might receive a letter from the bank say, addressed to W. E. Butler Esq.

27. Email attachment PDF
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format introduced by Adobe Systems in 1993. PDF documents can be shared between users and read using many different applications, making them more universally accessible than documents saved by one particular program.

29. “Grinding It Out” autobiographer KROC
The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success.

30. Barflies SOTS
Our word “sot” comes from the Old English “sott”, meaning a fool. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol and not just foolery in the late 1500s.

31. Food package amt. NT WT
Net weight (Nt. Wt.)

33. Hang out one’s shingle, say SET UP SHOP
The phrase “to hang out a shingle” is used in the legal profession meaning to start one’s own law firm. That said, the expression is sometimes applied to other businesses and trades. A “shingle” is small signboard.

41. Pip’s romantic interest in “Great Expectations” ESTELLA
The novel “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens is written in the first person, through the eyes of the hero of the piece. a young orphan boy called Pip.

43. Donkey relative ZEBRA
The name “zebra” comes from an old Portuguese word “zevra” meaning “wild ass”. Studies of zebra embryos show that zebras are basically black in color, with white stripes that develop with growth. Before this finding, it was believed they were white, with black stripes.

45. You can count on it ROSARY
The Rosary is a set of prayer beads used in the Roman Catholic tradition. The name “Rosary” comes from the Latin “rosarium”, the word for a “rose garden” or a “garland of roses”. The term is used figuratively, in the sense of a “garden of prayers”.

46. Pollen bearer ANTHER
The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower. The part of the stamen known as the anther carries the pollen, which is picked up by the bee and transferred from flower to flower. The pistil is the female reproductive organ, and it accepts the pollen.

49. Woods or Irons ACTOR
The actor James Woods is at his best in “bad guy” roles I always think. He really knows how to play the manic characters. My favorite of his portrayals is in a relatively trivial movie called “The Specialist” with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone.

Jeremy Irons is much-respected English actor who is noted for his stage, television and film performances. My favorite of these performances is the one that brought him into the limelight, playing Charles Ryder in the 1981 TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s “Brideshead Revisited”. Irons won a Best Actor Oscar for playing Claus von Bülow in 1990’s “Reversal of Fortune”. He is married to Irish actress Sinéad Cusack, and the couple own a castle in County Cork in the south of Ireland.

50. Shooting sport SKEET
There are three types of competitive shotgun target shooting sports:

– Skeet shooting
– Trap shooting
– Sporting clays

51. Monster slain by Hercules HYDRA
The Lernaean Hydra was a mythical sea snake that had multiple heads. Heracles had to slay the Hydra of Lerna as the second of his Twelve Labors.

52. Spanish Steps site ROME
Rome’s Spanish Steps are known locally as the “Scalinata” and are a set of 135 steps the sit above the Piazza di Spagna. The Spanish Steps are the actually the widest staircase in Europe. They always remind me of the movie “Roman Holiday”, as that is where Audrey Hepburn enjoyed her gelato.

53. Spanish bears OSOS
In Spanish, “osa” is a female bear, and “oso” is a male.

56. Mars and Saturn ORBS
The surface of the planet Mars has a very high iron oxide content, so Mars is red because it is rusty!

Saturn is easily visible from Earth with the unaided eye, but we need some help to see the planet’s famous rings. Galileo was the first person to see Saturn’s rings, when he turned his primitive telescope towards the night sky in 1610. However, he misinterpreted what he was observing and assumed that the rings were in fact two smaller planets located at either side of the larger Saturn.

59. Money mgrs.? EDS
One of the best-known features in “Money” magazine is its annual listing of “America’s Best Places to Live”. Top of the list for 2013 is the town of Sharon, Massachusetts.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. 45-Down component BEAD
5. Sunday service component CHOIR
10. RWR successor GHWB
14. Humdinger LULU
15. Hamlin of NASCAR DENNY
16. “Firecracker” singer Lisa LOEB
17. Certain pickup, to an astrologer? ARIES TRUCK (from “Ram truck”)
19. Eurasian border river URAL
20. Peer NOBLE
21. Some are smooth OPERATORS
23. CBS franchise since 2000 CSI
24. Canadian loc. of the fictional Green Gables PEI
26. Chicago suburb NILES
27. Gorton’s product, to an astrologer? PISCES STICKS (from “fish sticks”)
31. Where to find MSFT NASDAQ
34. Delinquency result, perhaps REPO
35. Galeón cargo ORO
36. Not kosher TREF
37. Dawn goddess EOS
38. Tea serving? SPOT
39. Word with paint or blanket WET
40. Risks BETS
42. People with a maize god AZTECS
44. Stubborn, to an astrologer? TAURUS-HEADED (from “bullheaded”)
47. Entrance to la maison PORTE
48. San Francisco’s __ Hill NOB
49. Guitar wood ASH
52. Richard Crenna played him in the TV miniseries “On Wings of Eagles” ROSS PEROT
55. Unstable ROCKY
57. Dept. of Labor arm OSHA
58. Courageous, to an astrologer? LEO-HEARTED (from “lionhearted”)
60. Othello, for one MOOR
61. Vegged out LAZED
62. Transvaal settler BOER
63. Make out ESPY
64. O’s, for one ALERS
65. Mex. title SRTA

Down
1. Vin choice BLANC
2. Greek capital EUROS
3. Cover for a crime ALIBI
4. Two-person contest DUEL
5. Summer hours in Chi. CDT
6. Intrepid HEROIC
7. “Movin’ __”: “The Jeffersons” theme ON UP
8. Tees off INCENSES
9. Cracker brand since 1904 RYKRISP
10. Squat targets GLUTEI
11. Daily reading for many HOROSCOPE
12. Grow tiresome WEAR
13. Energy-related units: Abbr. BBLS
18. Antique tone SEPIA
22. __ flute ALTO
25. Legal title: Abbr. ESQ
27. Email attachment PDF
28. Jagged, as a leaf’s edge EROSE
29. “Grinding It Out” autobiographer KROC
30. Barflies SOTS
31. Food package amt. NT WT
32. Flooring calculation AREA
33. Hang out one’s shingle, say SET UP SHOP
37. Heavenly ETHEREAL
38. Benchmark: Abbr. STD
40. Do a new parent’s job BURP
41. Pip’s romantic interest in “Great Expectations” ESTELLA
42. Stir ADO
43. Donkey relative ZEBRA
45. You can count on it ROSARY
46. Pollen bearer ANTHER
49. Woods or Irons ACTOR
50. Shooting sport SKEET
51. Monster slain by Hercules HYDRA
52. Spanish Steps site ROME
53. Spanish bears OSOS
54. Exude OOZE
56. Mars and Saturn ORBS
59. Money mgrs.? EDS

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