LA Times Crossword Answers 13 Aug 2018, Monday

Advertisement

[ad_above_grid]

Advertisement

Advertisement

Constructed by: Craig Stowe
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Postcard

Themed answers end with a word often seen POST (after) “CARD”:

  • 59A. Vacation memento … or where you might find the ends of the answers to starred clues? : POSTCARD
  • 17A. *NYSE nickname, with “The” : BIG BOARD (giving “cardboard”)
  • 24A. *”I Want You to Want Me” band : CHEAP TRICK (giving “card trick”)
  • 35A. *Stingray predator named for a tool : HAMMERHEAD SHARK (giving “card shark”)
  • 51A. *Clairvoyant : MIND READER (giving “card reader”)

Bill’s time: 5m 11s

Bill’s errors: 0

Advertisement

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Capital in Canada and Colombia? : CEE

The words “Canada” and “Colombia” start the letter C (cee).

14. Suffix with form : -ULA

The suffix -ula indicates “small”. For example, the word “formula” is from the Latin for “little form”.

15. “Otello” solo : ARIA

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

17. *NYSE nickname, with “The” : BIG BOARD (giving “cardboard”)

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is nicknamed the “Big Board”.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can give some quite descriptive ticker symbols to companies, for example:

  • Anheuser-Busch (BUD, for “Budweiser”)
  • Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP, as in “beer tap”)
  • Steinway Musical Instruments (LVB, for “Ludwig van Beethoven”)
  • Sotheby’s (BID, for the auction house)

20. British __ : ISLES

The British Isles comprise over six thousand islands off the northwest coast of Europe, the two largest being the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Back in my homeland, the Republic of Ireland, we’re not too fond of the term “British Isles”, as it tends to awaken memories of the Norman invasion and the Tudor conquest. We tend to go with the term “Britain and Ireland”.

23. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer : SHEA

Shea butter is a common moisturizer and lotion used as a cosmetic. It is a fat that is extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. There is evidence that shea butter was used back in Cleopatra’s Egypt.

24. *”I Want You to Want Me” band : CHEAP TRICK (giving “card trick”)

Cheap Trick is a rock band from Illinois that was formed in 1973. Such is the band’s popularity that the Illinois Senate in 2007 declared that April 1 every year would be Cheap Trick Day.

“I Want You to Want Me” is a 1977 single released by Illinois rock band Cheap Trick. Although fairly popular here in North America, the song was really well-received in Japan and made it to the number-one spot in the Japanese charts.

28. Walter of “The Odd Couple” (1968) : MATTHAU

The actor Walter Matthau was born in the Lower East Side of New York City. Matthau is remembered for many collaborations on the big screen with Jack Lemmon. Matthau and Lemmon passed away within a year of each other, both having suffered from colon cancer. And, both are buried in the same cemetery in Los Angeles.

“The Odd Couple” is a play by the wonderfully talented Neil Simon first performed on Broadway, in 1965. This great play was adapted for the big screen in 1968, famously starring Jack Lemmon (as Felix Unger) and Walter Matthau (as Oscar Madison). The success of the play and the film gave rise to an excellent television sitcom that ran from 1970-1975, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. In 1985, Neil Simon even went so far as to adapt the play for an all-female cast, renaming it “The Female Odd Couple”. I’d like to see that one …

30. Versatile vehicle, for short : UTE

A utility vehicle is often called a “ute” for short. Nowadays one mainly hears about sport-utes and crossover-utes.

31. MADD concern : DUI

In some states, there is no longer a legal difference between a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Other states retain that difference, so that by definition a DUI is a lesser offence than a DWI.

Candace Lightner lost her 13-year-old child to a drink driver in 1980. Soon after, Lightner formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

34. Clairvoyant : SEER

We’ve been using the term “clairvoyant” to describe a psychic since the nineteenth century. Prior to that, a clairvoyant was a clear-sighted person. The term comes from French, with “clair” meaning “clear” and “voyant” meaning “seeing”.

35. *Stingray predator named for a tool : HAMMERHEAD SHARK (giving “card shark”)

Hammerhead sharks are named for the unusual shape of their heads, which are flattened and resemble the outline of a hammer. The suggestion is that the hammerhead shape evolved to enhance the animal’s vision, allowing it to see above and below at all times.

A “card sharp” is someone who is skilled and deceptive with playing cards, particularly when playing gambling games like poker. It seems that the term “card sharp” predates the related “card shark”, both of which have the same meaning.

41. Pilate’s “Behold!” : ECCE!

Pontius Pilate was the judge at the trial of Jesus Christ and the man who authorized his crucifixion. Over the years, many scholars have suggested that Pilate was a mythical character. However, a block of limestone was found in 1961 in the modern-day city of Caesarea in Israel, and in the block was an inscription that included the name of Pontius Pilate, citing him as Prefect of Judea.

43. China’s Chou En-__ : LAI

Zhou Enlai (also “Chou En-Lai”) was the first government leader of the People’s Republic of China and held the office of Premier from 1949 until he died in 1976. Zhou Enlai ran the government for Communist Party Leader Mao Zedong, often striking a more conciliatory tone with the West than that of his boss. He was instrumental, for example, in setting up President Nixon’s famous visit to China in 1972. Zhou Enlai died just a few months before Mao Zedong, with both deaths leading to unrest and a dramatic change in political direction for the country.

47. First Hudson River automobile tunnel : HOLLAND

New York City’s Holland Tunnel conducts vehicular traffic under the Hudson River between Manhattan and Jersey City. When it opened in 1927, it was the longest underwater vehicular tunnel in the world. The tunnel is named for the Clifford Milburn Holland, the chief engineer who worked on the project and who died from a heart attack before he could see the work completed.

54. “In __ of gifts … ” : LIEU

As one might imagine perhaps, “in lieu” came into English from the Old French word “lieu” meaning “place”, which in turn is derived from the Latin “locum” that also means “place”. So, “in lieu” translates as “in place of”.

56. It’s a wrap : SARAN

What’s known as plastic wrap in America, we call cling-film in Ireland. The brand name “Saran” is often used generically in the US, while “Glad” wrap is common down under. Plastic wrap was one of those unintended inventions, a byproduct of a development program to create a hard plastic cover for cars.

57. “Now!” in Westerns : PRONTO!

The Spanish and Italian (and now English) word “pronto” is derived from the Latin “promptus” meaning “ready, quick”.

59. Vacation memento … or where you might find the ends of the answers to starred clues? : POSTCARD

The study and collection of postcards is called “deltiology”, a term derived from the Greek “deltos” meaning “writing tablet, letter”.

62. __-Price: toy company : FISHER

The toy company Fisher-Price was founded in 1930 by Herman Fisher and Irving Price, along with Margaret Evans Price and Helen Schelle. The company’s first toy was introduced the following year. It was a pull-along duck named Dr. Doodle.

64. Cavs, on scoreboards : CLE

The Cavaliers are the professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970.

66. Rope material : HEMP

Hemp is a hardy, fast-growing plant that has many uses mainly due to the strength of the fibers in the plant’s stalks. Hemp is used to make rope, paper and textiles. Famously, there is a variety of hemp that is grown to make drugs, most famously cannabis.

Down

1. Picasso’s movement : CUBISM

In the art movement known as Cubism, objects that are the subject of a painting are broken up and reassembled in an abstract form. The pioneers of the Cubist movement were Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

2. Otis of elevators : ELISHA

Elevators (simple hoists) have been around for a long time. What Elisha Otis did was come up with the “safety elevator”, a design that he showcased at the 1853 World’s Fair in New York. At the Fair, Otis would stand on an elevated platform in front of onlookers and order his assistant to cut the single rope holding up the platform. His safety system kicked in when the platform had only fallen a few inches, amazing the crowd. After this demonstration, the orders came rolling in.

3. Aerie youngster : EAGLET

An aerie is the nest of an eagle, and is also known as an eyrie.

4. Vietnam neighbor : LAOS

The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.

5. Nest egg initials : IRA

Individual retirement account (IRA)

6. Knight’s title : SIR

Kneel, and a monarch might “dub thee a knight” if you’re lucky. “Dub” is a specific term derived from Old English that was used to mean “make a knight”. As the knight was also given a knightly name at the same time, “dub” has come to mean “give someone a name”.

10. Guitar-making hardwood : ALDER

There appears to be heated debate by those in the know, about whether or not the type of wood used in the construction of electric guitars makes a difference to the sound quality. However, amongst those that value of wood choice, alder is the clear favorite.

12. Coastal bird : ERN

The ern (sometimes “erne”) is also called the white-tailed eagle or the sea-eagle.

22. Agua, across the Pyrenees : EAU

The Pyrénées is a mountain range that runs along the border between Spain and France. Nestled between the two countries, high in the mountains, is the lovely country of Andorra, an old haunt of my family during skiing season …

24. “The Alienist” novelist Caleb : CARR

One of Caleb Carr’s novels is a latter day Sherlock Holmes mystery called “The Italian Secretary”. The novel was written as a homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (using the Holmes character with the permission of the Doyle estate). I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes stories, so I must put this one on my reading list.

“The Alienist” is a 1994 crime novel by Caleb Carr that is set in New York City at the end of the 19th century. The protagonist is Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist who works with Police Commissioner, and future US president, Theodore Roosevelt. The novel was adapted into a 10-part TV series that first aired on TNT in early 2018.

25. Jackman of “X-Men” : HUGH

Australian actor Hugh Jackman is most famous perhaps for his recurring role as Wolverine in the “X-Men” series of films, but as I don’t really “do” superhero movies, I like him best from the romantic comedy “Kate & Leopold” and the epic “Australia”. Jackman also garnered praise for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables”.

27. Enterprise captain : KIRK

According to the storyline in “Star Trek”, Captain James Tiberius Kirk was born in Riverside, Iowa. The town of Riverside displays a plaque, noting Riverside as the “future birthplace of James T. Kirk.”

34. Brush-on wood finish : SHELLAC

Shellac is a resin that comes, not from plants, but from the female lac bug that inhabits forests of India and Thailand. The resin is dissolved in alcohol and sold as shellac. Shellac is used today mainly as a wood finish, but it can also be used as a food glaze. Vegans, beware …

36. Healthful berry : ACAI

Açaí (pronounced “ass-aye-ee”) is a palm tree native to Central and South America. The fruit has become very popular in recent years and its juice is a very fashionable addition to juice mixes and smoothies.

37. Canada’s national apple : MCINTOSH

Every McIntosh apple grown today can trace its roots back (pun!) to a tree on a farm near Morrisburg in Ontario, Canada. John McIntosh owned the tree, and he started to cultivate seedlings in 1796. Today, the McIntosh is the national apple of Canada.

40. “Weekend Update” show, in tweets : SNL

“Weekend Update” is the longest-running of any recurring sketch on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). In fact, the segment made its debut on the very first show, back in 1975. The first “anchor” at the “Weekend Update” was Chevy Chase.

46. Actress Charlotte : RAE

Charlotte Rae was an American actress best known for playing the character Edna Garrett on two sitcoms from the seventies and eighties: “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life”. Towards the end of the series, the Edna Garrett character operated her own gourmet food shop called “Edna’s Edibles”.

48. Acclaimed war pilot : AIR ACE

A flying ace is an aviator who has shot down a number of enemy planes during combat. The qualifying number of kills seems to vary, but five is common. The first use of “ace” was during WWI, when the French newspapers dubbed pilot Adolphe Pegoud “l’as” (French for “the ace”) when he shot down his fifth German plane.

50. Scottish port : DUNDEE

The city of Dundee lies on the north bank of the Firth of Tay in Scotland. The origins of the name “Dundee” are a little obscure, although the omnipresent “dùn” in place names all over Scotland and Ireland is the Celtic word for “fort”.

52. “Tiny Bubbles” singer : DON HO

The singer and entertainer Don Ho apparently had a pretty liberal arrangement with his wife. When Ho was touring with his two backing singers, Patti Swallie and Elizabeth Guevara, all three of them shared a room together. He had two children with each of his roommates, giving a total of ten kids including the six he had with his wife. The arrangement was quite open, it seems, with all ten kids visiting each other regularly. To each his own …

“Tiny Bubbles” was the signature song of singer and entertainer Don Ho. Written by Leon Pober, the song was intended for Lawrence Welk, but the famous bandleader turned it down.

57. Rank below cpl. : PFC

Private First Class (PFC)

58. 2016 Olympics city : RIO

Even though the 2016 Olympic Games was a summer competition, it was held in Rio de Janeiro in winter. As Rio is in the southern hemisphere, the opening ceremony on 5th August 2016 fell in the local winter season. The 2016 games was also the first to be held in South America, and the first to be hosted by a Portuguese-speaking country.

61. __ City: computer game : SIM

SimCity is a very clever computer game. Players build and grow cities and societies by creating the conditions necessary for people (the Sims) to move in and thrive. SimCity was launched in 1989, and to this day it is consistently ranked as one of the greatest computer games of all time.

Advertisement

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Capital in Canada and Colombia? : CEE
4. Struggle with “s” sounds : LISP
8. Puts on, as a show : STAGES
14. Suffix with form : -ULA
15. “Otello” solo : ARIA
16. Red, white and blue : COLORS
17. *NYSE nickname, with “The” : BIG BOARD (giving “cardboard”)
19. Reversed, as a deed : UNDONE
20. British __ : ISLES
21. Depended (on) : RELIED
23. __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer : SHEA
24. *”I Want You to Want Me” band : CHEAP TRICK (giving “card trick”)
28. Walter of “The Odd Couple” (1968) : MATTHAU
30. Versatile vehicle, for short : UTE
31. MADD concern : DUI
32. Sudden power increase : SURGE
34. Clairvoyant : SEER
35. *Stingray predator named for a tool : HAMMERHEAD SHARK (giving “card shark”)
41. Pilate’s “Behold!” : ECCE!
42. Tea biscuit : SCONE
43. China’s Chou En-__ : LAI
44. “It’s cold in here!” : BRR!
47. First Hudson River automobile tunnel : HOLLAND
51. *Clairvoyant : MIND READER (giving “card reader”)
54. “In __ of gifts … ” : LIEU
55. Rug on one’s pate : TOUPEE
56. It’s a wrap : SARAN
57. “Now!” in Westerns : PRONTO!
59. Vacation memento … or where you might find the ends of the answers to starred clues? : POSTCARD
62. __-Price: toy company : FISHER
63. Small jazz combo : TRIO
64. Cavs, on scoreboards : CLE
65. Talk show partner : CO-HOST
66. Rope material : HEMP
67. Reading organ : EYE

Down

1. Picasso’s movement : CUBISM
2. Otis of elevators : ELISHA
3. Aerie youngster : EAGLET
4. Vietnam neighbor : LAOS
5. Nest egg initials : IRA
6. Knight’s title : SIR
7. Felipe’s father : PADRE
8. Work on a statue : SCULPT
9. This evening, in ads : TONITE
10. Guitar-making hardwood : ALDER
11. “Nice thinking!” : GOOD IDEA!
12. Coastal bird : ERN
13. Opposite of NNW : SSE
18. “I dunno” : BEATS ME
22. Agua, across the Pyrenees : EAU
24. “The Alienist” novelist Caleb : CARR
25. Jackman of “X-Men” : HUGH
26. One prompting : CUER
27. Enterprise captain : KIRK
29. Tint : HUE
33. Wide shoe sizes : EES
34. Brush-on wood finish : SHELLAC
35. Big wheel at sea : HELM
36. Healthful berry : ACAI
37. Canada’s national apple : MCINTOSH
38. Throbbing pain : ACHE
39. Knocker’s place : DOOR
40. “Weekend Update” show, in tweets : SNL
44. Ogres : BRUTES
45. School assignment : REPORT
46. Actress Charlotte : RAE
48. Acclaimed war pilot : AIR ACE
49. Almost : NEARLY
50. Scottish port : DUNDEE
52. “Tiny Bubbles” singer : DON HO
53. Ocean measure : DEPTH
56. Four-way __: certain intersection : STOP
57. Rank below cpl. : PFC
58. 2016 Olympics city : RIO
60. Mined metal : ORE
61. __ City: computer game : SIM

Advertisement