LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Oct 15, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David Steinberg
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 32m 20s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

17. 2010 Eminem/Rihanna #1 hit with the lyric “Just gonna stand there and hear me cry” LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE
“Love the Way You Lie” is a 2010 song released by Eminem and featuring Rihanna. The song was very successful in the charts, and spawned a sequel. “Love the Way You Lie (Part II)” was released later in 2010, this time with Rihanna getting the top billing, with Eminem “featuring”.

18. “Despicable Me 2” company UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
“Despicable Me” is a 2010 animated comedy film. The main voice actor in the movie is the very funny Steve Carell. “Despicable Me” is a Universal Pictures production, although all of the animation was done in France. The 2010 film was followed by a sequel “Despicable Me 2” released in 2013, with a prequel/spinoff film called “Minions” released in 2015.

20. Eponymous magazine founder Eric UTNE
The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. The “Utne Reader” was founded in 1984, with “Utne” being the family name of the couple that started the publication.

27. God, in a midrash ELOHIM
A “midrash” is a learned interpretation of the Torah texts that are central to the Jewish tradition.

“Elohim” is a Hebrew word meaning “god” or “gods”.

30. Pickup spots? SCRUFFS
The “scruff” is the nape of the neck.

34. City with a Pumpkin Run classic car show OCALA
The city of Ocala, Florida was founded near a historic village with the same name. In the local Timucua language “Ocala” means “Big Hammock”. Back in the 1890s, Ocala was famous for its oranges, with over one third of that fruit shipped from Florida coming from the city. Also, thoroughbred horse farming in Florida started in Ocala, back in 1943. Some folks today call Ocala the “Horse Capital of the World”, but I bet that’s disputed by others …

The Ocala Pumpkin Run is a huge 3-day classic car show that is held each fall on a farm near Ocala, Florida.

36. Baguette surfaces FACETS
A baguette is a cut of diamond in which the stone is slender and rectangular, resembling a loaf of bread (a “baguette”).

38. Angry Birds sequel setting RIO
Angry Birds is a video game that was developed for smartphones. Angry Birds is the third most downloaded game, after Tetris and Pac-Man. There is a whole series of Angry Birds games now, including Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Transformers.

39. Valuable deposit LODE
A lode is a metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure. The “mother lode” is the principal deposit in a mine, usually of gold or silver. “Mother lode” is probably a translation of “veta madre”, an expression used in mining in Mexico.

40. From square one, to Severus DE NOVO
“De novo” is Latin for “anew”, just as we use it in English.

Septimius Severus was the 21st Emperor of the Roman Empire, ruling from 193 to 211 CE. Severus was born in modern-day Libya, and died in modern-day England.

42. One may be blonde ALE
Blonde ales are a loosely-related group of beers that share a very pale color. I’d guess that the most famous of the genre in North America are Belgian blondes.

44. Fortune’s 2012 Businessperson of the Year BEZOS
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, a company that he set up in his garage in 1994. Bezos used some of the fortune that he made with Amazon to purchase “The Washington Post” in 2013.

49. Uber ULTRA
“Uber” is the German word for “over”, and is a term that we use in English to mean “very, to a great degree”.

53. Grand Canyon ride BURRO
Our word “burro” meaning donkey comes from the Spanish word for the same animal, namely “burrico”.

The wild donkey that we know as a burro was introduced into the Grand Canyon in the late 1800s, where they used the animal to help pack out mined copper, asbestos and lead. When the miners moved on, they left the burros to roam free. Feral burros essentially overran the Grand Canyon in subsequent years, leading to the forced removal of 500 of them in the early eighties by the National Park Service. Burros wreak havoc on the canyon’s ecosystem, and in particular compete with native bighorn sheep. The bighorn sheep population has rebounded since the number of wild donkeys has dropped.

56. Quantum theory pioneer
Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist, who won his 1922 Nobel Prize for his work on quantum mechanics and atomic structure. Later in his life, Bohr was part of the team working on the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bomb. Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein had a series of public debates and disputes in the twenties and thirties. Although the two respected each other very highly, they held very different views on quantum theory, different views on the laws of physics at the atomic level. The passage of time has shown that Bohr won out in those debates.

59. GI chow MRES
The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) comes in a lightweight package that’s easy to tote around. The MRE replaced the more cumbersome Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in 1981, a meal-in-a-can. In turn, the MCI had replaced the C-ration in 1958, a less sophisticated meal-in-a-can with a more limited choice.

61. Elgar work with an as yet unsolved musical theme ENIGMA VARIATIONS
Edward Elgar’s famous “Enigma Variations” are more correctly titled “Variations on an Original Theme for Orchestra (“Enigma”)”. There are fourteen variations in the piece, with each named for one of Elgar’s close friends, a family member, and there is even one named for Elgar himself. Each variation is an affectionate portrayal of the person for which it is named. The “enigma” in the piece is quite a mystery. It is not even clear that the variations are based on a musical theme. Elgar’s notes tell us that the theme is “not played”, but he would never explain during his lifetime just what “the enigma” is.

65. Threat in Season 3 of “24” BIOLOGICAL WEAPON
In season 3 of the TV show “24”, Jack Bauer infiltrates a drug cartel in Mexico prevent the marketing of a deadly virus. The action moves to the US when a terrorist gets hold of the weapon with plans to release it in several American cities.

Down
1. Musical connector SLUR
In the world of music, a “slur” is curved line that connects neighboring notes that are to be played smoothly, without separation.

2. Like certain parlor containers CONIC
An ice cream parlor often serves ice cream in cones.

4. Wake-up call REVEILLE
“Reveille” is a trumpet call that is used to wake everyone up at sunrise. The term comes from “réveillé”, the French for “wake up”.

5. Nice time for toasting ETE
One might spend the summer (été) toasting under the sun (le soleil) in France.

6. Robin’s family THRUSH
The American robin has a reddish-orange breast. This coloring gave the bird its name, due to the similarity to the European robin. The two species are not in fact related. It is the American robin that famously lays light-blue eggs.

7. “I have broke your __ to say so!”: “The Tempest” HEST
In William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”, Miranda has the line “I have broken your hest to say so!” She says these words with reference to her father Prospero, and is saying that she disobeyed him, disobeyed his command (hest).

8. Obi-Wan portrayer EWAN
Ewan McGregor is a very talented Scottish actor, one who got his break in the 1996 film “Trainspotting”. McGregor’s first big Hollywood role was playing the young Obi-Wan-Kenobi in the “Star Wars” prequels. Less known is his televised marathon motorcycle journey from London to New York via central Europe, Ukraine, Siberia, Mongolia and Canada. The 2004 trip was shown as “Long Way Round” on TV. McGregor did a similar trip in 2007 called “Long Way Down”, which took him and the same travelling companion from the north of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the more beloved of the “Star Wars” characters. Kenobi was portrayed by two fabulous actors in the series of films. As a young man he is played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, and as an older man he is played by Alec Guinness.

11. News initials since 1851 NYT
“The New York Times” has been published since 1851. These days a viable alternative to buying the paper is to read the news online. NYTimes.com is the most popular online newspaper website in the country.

12. British classic cars TOURERS
The term “tourer” is used in Britain to describe an open car that can seat four passengers, and that has a folding top. The equivalent term in North America is “touring car”. The term “roadster” tends to be used on both sides for a similar vehicle, but one that only seats two passengers.

13. Typically 81-digit diversion SUDOKU
Number puzzles similar to our modern-day Sudoku first appeared in French newspapers in the late 1800s. The format that we use today was created by Howard Garns, a 74-year-old freelance puzzle constructor from Connersville, Indiana and first published in 1979. The format was introduced in Japan in 1984 and given the title of “Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru”, which translates to “the digits are limited to one occurrence”. The rather elaborate Japanese title was eventually shortened to Sudoku. No doubt many of you are fans of Sudoku puzzles. I know I am …

14. Omnium-gatherum OLIO
“Olio” is a term meaning a hodgepodge or a mixture, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.

The term “omnium-gatherum” has been used since the 16th century to describe a miscellaneous collection. The usage is a little tongue-in-cheek, using the Latin word “omnium” meaning “of all”, and “gatherum”, which is “Latinized” version of the the English “gather”.

15. Verizon bundle FIOS
FiOS is a service from Verizon that bundles Internet, telephone and television service. All three services are provided over fiber-optic lines, right to the door.

23. Zookeeper’s main squeeze? BOA
Boa constrictors are members of the Boidae family of snakes, all of which are non-venomous. Interestingly, the female boa is always larger than the male.

25. Square, in ’50s slang, as shown by a four-fingered gesture L-SEVEN
“Square” is a slang term, an insult implying that someone fails to appreciate a counterculture perhaps, is a “fuddy duddy”. The derivative term “L7” means the same thing. “L7” comes from the square-like gesture made by putting together an “L” with a thumb and index finger and a “7” with the other thumb and index finger.

26. __-1: “Ghostbusters” car ECTO
The car used by the Ghostbusters in their movies is a converted ambulance that is dubbed the Ectomobile or Ecto-1. And, “ECTO-1” is the vehicle’s license plate number.

31. Hard-hit liner, in baseball lingo FROZEN ROPE
In baseball, a “frozen rope” is a line drive that is hard hit, or a strong throw from the outfield. I guess a frozen rope is as straight as an arrow, or a well-hit baseball …

32. Spanakopita dough FILO
Filo (also “phyllo”) is an extremely thin unleavened dough used in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. The most famous dish made from filo is baklava, a rich and sweet pastry made from layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and held together with syrup.

Spanakopita is a savory pastry from Greece. The term “spanakopita” translates from Greek as “spinach pie”. The pie’s filling includes feta cheese, onions and egg, along with the spinach.

33. They’re often lit 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.

“Lit” is a slang term meaning “drunk”.

34. Norwegian saint OLAF
Of the many kings of Norway named Olaf/Olav (and there have been five), Olaf II is perhaps the most celebrated as he was canonized and made patron saint of the country. Olaf II was king from 1015 to 1028 and was known as “Olaf the Big” (or Olaf the Fat) during his reign. Today he is more commonly referred to as “Olaf the Holy”. After Olaf died he was given the title of Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae, which is Latin for “Norway’s Eternal King”.

41. Prolonged lament JEREMIAD
A jeremiad is a work of literature, sometime poetic but mainly prose. The tone of the piece is always that of a bitter lament as the author derides the state of society and predicts its downfall. The name “jeremiad” is imitative of the prophet Jeremiah who wrote the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations in which he prophesies the fall of the Kingdom of Judah due to the wayward practices of its leaders.

43. Builder of Jerusalem’s First Temple SOLOMON
The bIble refers to Solomon’s Temple that was built on the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem. Also called the First Temple, it was destroyed after the Siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldean king Nebuchadnezzar II.

48. 1943 Pacific island battle site TARAWA
Tarawa is a Pacific atoll that used to be the capital of the British ruled Gilbert Islands. It is now the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, and is known as South Tarawa. The island was occupied by the Japanese in WWII, before they were ousted by the US Marines in November 1943. The 76-hour battle was bloody, and cost 6,000 lives.

50. The Bahamas’ __ Islands ABACO
The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas. The first Europeans to arrive in the Abaco Islands actually came from America in 1783, as they were loyalists fleeing the American Revolution.

52. Barbershop part TENOR
Barbershop music is played in the a cappella style, meaning that it is unaccompanied vocal music. Barbershop music originated in the African American communities in the South, as gospel quartets often gathered in neighborhood barber shops to sing together.

53. Actress Neuwirth BEBE
Bebe Neuwirth is a wonderful actress and dancer, very famous for portraying Dr. Lilith Sternin, the wife of Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” and “Frasier”. Neuwirth is a fabulous dancer, having studied ballet at Juilliard. In more recent years she has had starring roles on Broadway, and in 2010 played opposite Nathan Lane in “The Addams Family”.

54. OS X basis UNIX
Unix is a computer operating system that was developed at Bell Labs in 1969.

Apple introduced the OS X Operating System in 2000. Each version of this operating system has had a code name, and that code name until recently has been a type of big cat. The versions and code names are:

– 10.0: Cheetah
– 10.1: Puma
– 10.2: Jaguar
– 10.3: Panther
– 10.4: Tiger
– 10.5: Leopard
– 10.6: Snow Leopard
– 10.7: Lion
– 10.8: Mountain Lion
– 10.9: Mavericks
– 10.10: Yosemite

The 10.9 release marked a change in naming pattern, with “Mavericks” being a surfing location in Northern California.

57. Operation Torch target ORAN
World War II’s Operation Torch was the invasion of French North Africa by British and American forces in 1942. The goal of the operation was to oust the German and Italian military from the region in preparation for an invasion of Southern Europe in 1943. Operation Torch comprised a three-pronged attack, aimed at Casablanca, Oran and Algiers. Famously, the German Afrika Korps proved to be difficult to defeat, but they eventually succumbed in May of 1943.

60. Phishers’ fodder: Abbr. SSNS
Social Security number (SSN)

Phishing is the name given to the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PIN numbers etc.”

62. DOJ pooh-bahs AGS
Attorneys General (AGs) head up the Department of Justice (DOJ). When the office of the Attorney General was created in 1789 it was a part-time job, with no departmental support. The Department of Justice came into being in 1870.

The term “pooh-bah” (also “poobah”), meaning an ostentatious official, comes from the world of opera. Pooh-Bah is a character in the wonderful Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera “The Mikado”. Famously, Pooh-Bah holds many, many offices, including that of “Lord High Everything Else”.

63. 180 degrees from I VII
On a clock face with Roman numerals, the number I (one) sits opposite VII (seven).

64. 2012 film bear TED
“Ted” is a movie written, directed, produced and starring Seth MacFarlane. In the story, MacFarlane voices a teddy bear who is the best friend of a character played by Mark Wahlberg.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Really frighten SCARE THE PANTS OFF
17. 2010 Eminem/Rihanna #1 hit with the lyric “Just gonna stand there and hear me cry” LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE
18. “Despicable Me 2” company UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
19. Something to grab RIDE
20. Eponymous magazine founder Eric UTNE
21. Ruler’s domain? ROOST
22. Barred furniture CRIBS
24. Finely contoured SLEEK
27. God, in a midrash ELOHIM
30. Pickup spots? SCRUFFS
34. City with a Pumpkin Run classic car show OCALA
36. Baguette surfaces FACETS
38. Angry Birds sequel setting RIO
39. Valuable deposit LODE
40. From square one, to Severus DE NOVO
41. Shock JOLT
42. One may be blonde ALE
43. Hard SEVERE
44. Fortune’s 2012 Businessperson of the Year BEZOS
45. Badly deteriorated FAR-GONE
47. Complete ENTIRE
49. Uber ULTRA
51. Means AGENT
53. Grand Canyon ride BURRO
56. Quantum theory pioneer BOHR
59. GI chow MRES
61. Elgar work with an as yet unsolved musical theme ENIGMA VARIATIONS
65. Threat in Season 3 of “24” BIOLOGICAL WEAPON
66. Ways to get high EXTENSION LADDERS

Down
1. Musical connector SLUR
2. Like certain parlor containers CONIC
3. Real page-turner? AVID READER
4. Wake-up call REVEILLE
5. Nice time for toasting ETE
6. Robin’s family THRUSH
7. “I have broke your __ to say so!”: “The Tempest” HEST
8. Obi-Wan portrayer EWAN
9. Doesn’t measure up PALES
10. Shakespearean cries AYS
11. News initials since 1851 NYT
12. British classic cars TOURERS
13. Typically 81-digit diversion SUDOKU
14. Omnium-gatherum OLIO
15. Verizon bundle FIOS
16. Film follower? FEST
23. Zookeeper’s main squeeze? BOA
25. Square, in ’50s slang, as shown by a four-fingered gesture L-SEVEN
26. __-1: “Ghostbusters” car ECTO
28. Should it happen that IF EVER
29. Locks in a paddock MANE
31. Hard-hit liner, in baseball lingo FROZEN ROPE
32. Spanakopita dough FILO
33. They’re often lit SOTS
34. Norwegian saint OLAF
35. Fountain output COLA
37. Fruit remnant CORE
40. Depressed area? DENT
41. Prolonged lament JEREMIAD
43. Builder of Jerusalem’s First Temple SOLOMON
44. Worth writing home about BIG
46. Fountain output GURGLE
48. 1943 Pacific island battle site TARAWA
50. The Bahamas’ __ Islands ABACO
52. Barbershop part TENOR
53. Actress Neuwirth BEBE
54. OS X basis UNIX
55. Shields may be used in one RIOT
57. Operation Torch target ORAN
58. Way up HILL
60. Phishers’ fodder: Abbr. SSNS
62. DOJ pooh-bahs AGS
63. 180 degrees from I VII
64. 2012 film bear TED

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12 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 17 Oct 15, Saturday”

  1. DNF on this obviously. I started looking up things after I got about 6 of them. Quit when I realized I was looking up every other answer. Did get 20 total on my own, but got 11 that were either wrong or lookups.

    I did play a little bit and tried to guess what Bill's time would be on this one after seeing what got unleashed Friday. He "undered" my guess by 8 minutes, so that was good 🙂

  2. Is there an acronym for "didn't even get started"? At least I thought I got started with ALEC for "Obi-Wan portrayer," which turned out to be wrong. Other questionable clues: MANE for "Locks in a paddock," GURGLE for "Fountain output," BIG for "Worth writing home about," and would someone please explain how "Way up" is HILL? It's no fun when you start to hate the constructor.

  3. Very easy puzzle. Finished without really having to give it much thought at all. Finished it in about a third of Bill's time.

    …..ok – ALL of that is a big lie. I just wanted to be able to say it once…. 🙂

    I was terrified when I saw all of about 6 blacked out squares in the entire grid. Then I looked at the clues and practically gave up before I started. ECOHIM, THRUSH, JEREMIAD, TARAWA, ECTO, Rihanna songs, Despicable 2 references, FILO, ENIGMA VARIATIONS (huh?).etc etc. Are you kidding me? DNS……as in did not (even) start. I did work thought the puzzle – cheating whenever I wanted which was often.

    Bohr is considered to have won those debates, but he also "lost" a few to Einstein such as Bohr initially rejecting seeing light as both a particle and a wave, and then accepting it. Both had incredible minds.

    If anyone is ever interested in seeing a very understandable explanation and demonstration of Einstein's theories of Special relativity (special in that it refers to things in constant motion…like light), General relativity, quantum theory, and modern string theories, there is a wonderful series now on Netflix called "The Physics of Light". It's a 6 part series that was originally produced in Korea but aired here via PBS. Absolutely magnificent stuff if you are warped enough (pardon the pun..) to like such things.

    Best –

  4. This was a piece of cake. Wonderful and interesting and a most fascinating puzzle, loaded with puns, that really make life worth living. Huzzah, Hoorah, Hurray ! Take that, Bill !

    ok, I didn't even try it. But on another subject, for us, 'word lovers' who wish there was a word to describe a unique experience, like 'didn't even try – ', please do look up this wonderful article, Scouring the web to make new words 'lookupable', New York Times . Pure delight !

    On other matters, thanks Jeff, for that netflix, 'The Physics of Light'. I am definitely going to see it – with strong cup of black coffee.

    Did you know Neils Bohr (1922) and later, his son Aage Bohr (1975) were among the few Nobel prize winning 'families' ?

    And, something near and dear to our Bill, a Scottish-American, Angus Deaton ( distg.prof, Princeton) has just been awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics, on or near his 70th birthday (born 19th Oct. 1945). Wonderful news and neat trivia !!!

    Have a merry weekend, all.

  5. The NW corner remained undone (down as far as 27 Across "God in a midrash" – I figured God had a reaction to some bad shellfish and his tummy was red and itchy), when I came to Bill's blog to see what happened. Pop music being a major Achilles heel for me I had not a clue to the Eminem/Rihanna song title.

    My "Crash & Burn" Saturday. I'll console myself by remembering that I got Friday – rationalization is such a pitiful thing!

  6. Did this one on the computer with red letter help.
    Started great, with SCARE THE PANTS OFF. Woo-hoo!
    But my dreams of solving a Saturday were completely dashed all too soon.
    @macaroni jack Is there an acronym for "didn't even get started"?
    No acronym I can think of
    I think I'll be non-endeavorous next Saturday.

  7. They're generally pretty open with longer answers, and multi-word answers. Also seems to be lots more "east coast" clues like theater and classical music references. I got luck on this one because I got UNIVERSAL…right away, and just crossed my way down the grid. But I took about :40 to do it.

    Bill also blogs about the NYT. Here's his Friday entry: http://www.nytcrossword.com/search?updated-max=2015-10-16T21:46:00-07:00&max-results=1

    Saturdays over there are the real bear.

  8. >Are Friday NYT puzzles similar to this one…ie this bad (good?)?

    As a lurker on Bill's other blog (and occasional poster), I'll note that they're typically harder/more challenging and have tricks in them (especially this week as it's Trick Week). One thing I at least like about the LA grids is that Norris deliberately works to make them as fair as he can.

    I don't post on Bill's other blog much simply for that reason – I never finish 98% of the NYT puzzles that I see. A lot of that could be contributed to the more "malicious" or "nonsensical" cluing of the NYT grids. This was the subject of my last post over there, which was about a Tuesday grid that I actually ragequit because of it – I found agreement with one or two of the others who posted around that time too.

    But then again, I really haven't shown much or any improvement in doing these grids, so I take my own opinion with a grain of salt.

  9. Oh come on with this!! May be the toughest puzzle I've ever seen.
    @Macaroni and Pookie, instead of an acronym, how about a two-word phrase: "Didn't EVEN!!"
    That's how I feel on this one.
    I cheated from the get-go, and still I found myself struggling with 5-letter words where I already had three of the letters filled in!!
    Yikes!
    My new sign-off, since Jeff has "Best–"
    ~~Be well!

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