LA Times Crossword Answers 31 Dec 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Alex Miller
THEME: Ivy League … each of today’s themed answers ends with the letter sequence IV:

38A. Northeastern educational octet … or, in a way, what the ends of 20-, 31-, 49- and 61-Across comprise IVY LEAGUE

20A. King who supported Molière LOUIS XIV
31A. Colorful mnemonic ROY G BIV
49A. City name meaning “spring mound” TEL AVIV
61A. Maker of Smart Target acne treatment PROACTIV

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 44s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. Parker who played Davy Crockett FESS
The actor Fess Parker played two heroes of the west on television, namely Davy Crockett in a 1955-56 Disney mini-series and Daniel Boone in the show that ran from 1964 to 1970. Off the screen, Parker spent much of his time operating his winery in Los Olivos, California. The Fess Parker Family Winery made an appearance in the great 2004 film “Sideways”.

9. Vagabond TRAMP
A “vagabond” is a person without a home who moves from place to place. The term derives from the Latin “vagabundus” meaning “wandering, strolling about”.

14. Dept. with a sun on its seal ENER
The US Department of Energy (DOE) came into being largely as a result of the 1973 oil crisis. The DOE was founded in 1977 by the Carter administration. The DOE is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear power, and it is also responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons. The official DOE seal features symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.

15. Future D.A.’s hurdle LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been around since 1948.

District Attorney (DA)

17. Tiny pond plant ALGA
Algae are similar to terrestrial plants in that they use photosynthesis to create sugars from light and carbon dioxide, but they differ in that they have simpler anatomies, and for example lack roots.

20. King who supported Molière LOUIS XIV
Louis XIV is perhaps the most famous of the kings (“rois”) of France and was known as the “Sun King” (le Roi Soleil”). Louis XIV was king from 1638 to 1715. That reign of over 72 years is the longest reign of any European monarch.

Molière was the stage name of French actor and playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. It is amazing how well the comedies of Molière, written in the 1600s, entertain us on stage today. Among his best-known plays are “The Misanthrope”, “The School for Wives” and “Tartuffe or the Hypocrite”.

22. Highfalutin sorts SNOBS
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.

The term “highfalutin” dates back to the mid-1800s. some suggest that it may be a mutation from “high flying”, as “highfalutin” means “haughty” or “pretentious”.

23. Hoi __ POLLOI
“Hoi polloi” is a Greek term, literally meaning “the majority, the many”. In English, “hoi polloi” has come to mean “the masses” and is often used in a derogatory sense.

26. Blotter letters AKA
Also known as (a.k.a.)

A police blotter is (or used to be) a daily record of arrests made.

28. Ryder Cup team USA
The Ryder Cup trophy was donated to the game of golf by Samuel Ryder, an English entrepreneur. Ryder made his money selling garden seeds in small packets. He only took up golf when he was in his fifties but became quite the enthusiast and eventually donated the trophy in 1927, when it was valued at 100 guineas. The Ryder Cup is a biennial tournament played between teams from the US and Europe.

29. “Mystery!” network PBS
PBS’s “Masterpiece Theatre” changed its name to “Masterpiece” in 2008. At the same time, three different versions of the show were introduced:

– “Masterpiece Classic” introduced by Gillian Anderson, and now Laura Linney
– “Masterpiece Mystery!” introduced by Alan Cumming
– “Masterpiece Contemporary” introduced by Matthew Goode, and now David Tennant

I love “Masterpiece” …

31. Colorful mnemonic ROY G BIV
“Roy G. Biv” is a mnemonic for the colors in a rainbow:

– Red
– Orange
– Yellow
– Green
– Blue
– Indigo
– Violet

35. “Constant Craving” singer LANG
k.d. lang is the stage name of Kathryn Dawn Lang, a Canadian singer and songwriter. Beyond her performing career, she is a noted activist focused on animal rights, gay rights, and human rights in Tibet.

37. Pontificate ORATE
To “pontificate” is to issue dogmatic decrees, with a pompous air. Back in 1818, the word had the more literal meaning, “to act as a pontiff, pope”.

38. Northeastern educational octet … or, in a way, what the ends of 20-, 31-, 49- and 61-Across comprise IVY LEAGUE
The term “Ivy League” originally defined an athletic conference, but now it is used to describe a group of schools of higher education that are associated with both a long tradition and academic excellence. The eight Ivy League Schools are: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

41. Big mess SNAFU
SNAFU is an acronym standing for Situation Normal: All Fouled Up (well, that’s the “polite” version!). As you might imagine, the term developed in the US Army, during WWII.

44. Isle of Mull neighbor IONA
Although the small island of Iona lies just off the west coast of Scotland, it was the site of a monastery built in the Middle Ages by a monk from Ireland names Colm Cille (also known as Columba). Colm Cille and his followers were sent into exile from the Irish mainland and settled in Iona, as at that time the island was part of an Irish kingdom. This monastery in Iona expanded its influence over the decades and founded other institutions all over Ireland and Great Britain. It is believed that the famous Book of Kells may have been written, or at least started, at the monastery on Iona. Iona is also the burial site for Macbeth, King of Scotland who was immortalized in Shakespeare’s fictional account of the king’s life.

The Isle of Mull (sometimes called just “Mull”) is part of the Inner Hebrides, which lie off the west coast of Scotland.

49. City name meaning “spring mound” TEL AVIV
The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv translates into “Spring Mound”, a name chosen in 1910.

51. Naval off. ADM
Admiral (adm.)

55. Some, in Seville UNAS
The city of Seville is the capital of Andalusia in southern Spain. Seville is a favored setting for many operas including “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, “Fidelio” by Beethoven and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and “The Marriage of Figaro”.

57. Two-gamete cell ZYGOTE
“Zygote” is the name given to the cell formed when (in the case of humans) a sperm fertilizes an egg. It is the earliest stage in the development of an embryo. The term “zygote” comes from the Greek for “joined, yoked”.

A gamete is a reproductive cell that has half the full complement of genes needed to make a normal cell. In sexual reproduction, it takes two gametes, one from each parent, to fuse into one cell which then develops into a new organism. The female gamete is the ovum, and the male the sperm.

61. Maker of Smart Target acne treatment PROACTIV
Proactiv is an over-the-counter medication that is applied as a treatment for acne. Proactiv’s active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide.

64. Snack in a stack OREO
How the Oreo cookie came to get its name seems to have been lost in the mists of time. One theory is that it comes from the French “or” meaning “gold”, a reference to the gold color of the original packing. Another suggestion is that the name is the Greek word “oreo” meaning “beautiful, nice, well-done”.

66. Easily corrupted VENAL
Someone described as “venal” is open to bribery. The term ultimately derives from the Latin word “venus” meaning “for sale”.

69. Anaheim’s Honda Center, e.g. ARENA
The Honda Center is home to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, it was renamed to the Honda Arena in 2006, with Honda paying $60 million for the naming rights for fifteen years.

Down
1. Blubbery baby? SEAL PUP
Male seals are called bulls, females are cows, and babies are pups.

3. Like some verbs and gas REGULAR
The difference between a premium and regular gasoline is its octane rating. The octane rating is measure of the resistance of the gasoline to auto-ignition i.e. it’s resistance to ignition just by virtue of being compressed in the cylinder. This auto-ignition is undesirable as multiple-cylinder engines are designed so that ignition within each cylinder takes place precisely when the plug sparks, and not before. If ignition occurs before the spark is created, the resulting phenomenon is called “knocking”.

6. Hollywood’s Morales ESAI
Esai Morales is best known for his role in the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai).

7. Shrewd SAVVY
The term “savvy”, meaning “understanding”, comes from the French “savez-vous?” that translates as “do you know?”

8. Canonized mlle. STE
In France, a canonized young lady (mlle.) is a saint (ste.)

10. Lampshade-shaped chocolate ROLO
Rolo was a hugely popular chocolate candy in Ireland when I was growing up. Rolo was introduced in the thirties in the UK, and is produced under license in the US by Hershey. I was a little disappointed when I had my first taste of the American version as the center is very hard and chewy. The recipe used on the other side of the Atlantic calls for a soft gooey center.

11. Woodcutter who knew the magic words ALI BABA
In the folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the title character is a poor woodcutter who discovers the magic words “Open Sesame” that open the thieves’ den.

12. Camper’s dining gear MESS KIT
“Mess” first came into English about 1300 and described the list of food needed for a meal, from the Old French word “mes” meaning a portion of food or a course at a meal. This usage in English evolved into “mess” meaning a jumbled mass of anything from the concept of “mixed food”. At the same time, the original usage in the sense of a food for a meal surfaced again in the military in the 1500s when a “mess” was a communal eating place.

21. Food for dunking SOP
Cerberus is a dog with three heads that appears in both Greek and Roman mythology. Cerberus had the job of guarding the gates of Hades and preventing those who had crossed the River Styx from ever escaping. A sop is a piece of food that has been dipped in some liquid, as one might sop a piece of bread in soup. There is an idiomatic expression, “to give a sop to Cerberus”, which means to give someone a bribe, or pay someone off. The idea is that if one could bribe Cerberus, give him a sop to eat, then he would let you pass and escape from Hades.

25. Princess Leia’s last name ORGANA
The full name of the character played by Carrie Fisher in the “Star Wars” series of films is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and later Leia Organa Solo. Leia is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader) and Padmé Amidala. Leia is raised by her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa. She eventually marries Han Solo.

32. First name of TV’s Dr. House GREG
I think that “House” is one of the best shows made by Fox television. It is fun for me to see English actor Hugh Laurie in the title role as coming from the other side of the Atlantic I have been watching him in various comedic roles for decades. Famously he played Bertie Wooster opposite Stephen Fry in P.G. Wodehouse’s “Jeeves & Wooster”, as well as one of the bumbling “bad guys” in “101 Dalmatians” (the version starring Glenn Close).

34. World Cup org. FIFA
The International Federation of Association Football (“Fédération Internationale de Football Association” in French) is usually referred to by the acronym “FIFA”. FIFA is the governing body of the game of soccer (association football).

39. Horn banned from the 2014 World Cup VUVUZELA
A vuvuzela is a simple horn that produces a loud monotone note. The vuvuzela is a big hit with soccer fans in South Africa, and is now heard in stadiums all round the world after it was was introduced to us in the 2010 FIFA World Cup that was held in South Africa.

41. RR stop STA
A station (sta.) is a stop along a railroad (RR).

42. Many an Enya fan NEW AGER
New-Age music is created to provide a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere. The New Age movement is often said to have begun with the release of an album called “Spectrum Suite” by Steven Halpern in 1975.

Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. She sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

47. Day play MATINEE
“Matinée” is a French word used to describe a musical entertainment held during the daytime. It is derived from the word “matin”, meaning “morning”, although here the term is used in the sense of “daylight”. Theater performances in the US tend to be either in the evening (for the night owls) or in matinees in the afternoon (for “the early-to-bed crowd”, of which I am a member).

48. Justice replaced by Kagan STEVENS
John Paul Stevens retired as an associate justice on the US Supreme Court in 2010 after having served for over 34 years. That made him the third longest-serving justice in the history of the court. Stevens had been nominated by President Gerald Ford to replace Justice William O. Douglas, who in turn had been the longest-serving justice in the court (at over 36 years).

Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the fourth female US Supreme Court justice (there have been 108 men!). I hear she is a fan of Jane Austen, and used to reread “Pride and Prejudice” once a year. Not a bad thing to do, I’d say …

52. One-named R&B singer MYA
Mya is an R&B singer-songwriter. I don’t know her music, but I did see her get to the runner-up spot on the ninth series of “Dancing with the Stars”. On the show, Mya was beaten out of first place by Donny Osmond (don’t ask!).

56. Bender SPREE
Both “jag” and “bender” describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly involving alcohol. Both words have been in use since the 1800s.

58. Treble staff symbol G-CLEF
Clef is the French word for “key”. In music, a clef is used to indicate the pitch of the notes written on the stave. Usually, a G-clef is used for high parts, a C-clef for middle parts and an F-clef for low parts.

60. Logician Turing ALAN
Alan Turing was an English mathematician. He was deservedly well-respected for his code-breaking work during WWII at Bletchley Park in England. However, despite his contributions to cracking the German Enigma code and other crucial work, Turing was prosecuted for homosexuality in 1952. He agreed to chemical castration, treatment with female hormones, and two years later he committed suicide by taking cyanide. Turing’s life story is told in the 2014 film “The Imitation Game” with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the lead. I can’t wait to see it …

62. Clarinet insert REED
The clarinet is a lovely-sounding instrument, isn’t it? The name comes from the Italian word “clarino” meaning “trumpet” with the “-et” suffix indicating “small”.

63. Actress Gardner AVA
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long term relationships with Howard Hughes and bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. See the sites? SURF
5. Parker who played Davy Crockett FESS
9. Vagabond TRAMP
14. Dept. with a sun on its seal ENER
15. Future D.A.’s hurdle LSAT
16. Putting green features HOLES
17. Tiny pond plant ALGA
18. Holiday lights site EAVE
19. Slate of VIPs A-LIST
20. King who supported Molière LOUIS XIV
22. Highfalutin sorts SNOBS
23. Hoi __ POLLOI
24. Egg-white omelet’s lack YOLK
26. Blotter letters AKA
28. Ryder Cup team USA
29. “Mystery!” network PBS
31. Colorful mnemonic ROY G BIV
33. Line to tear along: Abbr. PERF
35. “Constant Craving” singer LANG
37. Pontificate ORATE
38. Northeastern educational octet … or, in a way, what the ends of 20-, 31-, 49- and 61-Across comprise IVY LEAGUE
41. Big mess SNAFU
44. Isle of Mull neighbor IONA
45. Beauties GEMS
49. City name meaning “spring mound” TEL AVIV
51. Naval off. ADM
53. Welcoming accessory MAT
54. Carpentry tool AWL
55. Some, in Seville UNAS
57. Two-gamete cell ZYGOTE
59. Blow away AMAZE
61. Maker of Smart Target acne treatment PROACTIV
63. Limber AGILE
64. Snack in a stack OREO
65. Singles bar conversation starter LINE
66. Easily corrupted VENAL
67. Badly need a bath REEK
68. Squared up EVEN
69. Anaheim’s Honda Center, e.g. ARENA
70. Kings and queens BEDS
71. They may be tacked on FEES

Down
1. Blubbery baby? SEAL PUP
2. Free UNLOOSE
3. Like some verbs and gas REGULAR
4. Hardly hardy FRAIL
5. With some wiggle room FLEXIBLY
6. Hollywood’s Morales ESAI
7. Shrewd SAVVY
8. Canonized mlle. STE
9. Gift recipient’s sentiment THANK YOU
10. Lampshade-shaped chocolate ROLO
11. Woodcutter who knew the magic words ALI BABA
12. Camper’s dining gear MESS KIT
13. West Coast hrs. PST
21. Food for dunking SOP
22. __-mo replay SLO
25. Princess Leia’s last name ORGANA
27. City thoroughfare: Abbr. AVE
30. Whistle wetter SALIVA
32. First name of TV’s Dr. House GREG
34. World Cup org. FIFA
36. Classical lead-in NEO-
39. Horn banned from the 2014 World Cup VUVUZELA
40. “Zounds!” GADZOOKS!
41. RR stop STA
42. Many an Enya fan NEW AGER
43. Hoarder’s cry ALL MINE!
46. Showing strong feeling EMOTIVE
47. Day play MATINEE
48. Justice replaced by Kagan STEVENS
50. Having four sharps IN E
52. One-named R&B singer MYA
56. Bender SPREE
58. Treble staff symbol G-CLEF
60. Logician Turing ALAN
62. Clarinet insert REED
63. Actress Gardner AVA
64. Ball ORB

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