LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 18, Monday

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Constructed by: C.C. Burnikel
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Private Houses

Themed answers each end with a location where a military PRIVATE might be HOUSED:

  • 33A. Most suburban residences… or, in a military sense, the ends of 17-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across : PRIVATE HOUSES
  • 17A. Bedding structure for kids : BLANKET FORT
  • 24A. Place for people with nothing to hide? : NUDIST CAMP
  • 46A. “Theft” on a diamond : STOLEN BASE
  • 55A. Secretary of Defense, for one : CABINET POST

Bill’s time: 5m 20s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Largest city in the Bahamas : NASSAU

Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas, and used to be called Charles Town. Located on the island of New Providence, the original settlement was burnt to the ground by the Spanish in 1684. It was rebuilt and named Nassau in honor of King William III of England (“William of Orange”), a Dutchman from the House of Orange-Nassau. Nassau is a favored location for the James Bond series of movies. The city and surroundings feature in “Thunderball”, “Never Say Never Again”, “Casino Royale” and “For Your Eyes Only”. Bond portrayer Sean Connery has lived for many years at Lyford Cay, which is just a 30-min drive from the center of Nassau.

7. Beauty chain with a salon inside each store : ULTA

Ulta Beauty is an American chain of beauty stores that was founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. I am not part of the company’s target demographic …

11. High-level H.S. classes : APS

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers college-level courses to kids who are still in high school. After being tested at the end of the courses, successful students receive credits that count towards a college degree.

19. Pirouette pivot point : TOE

We took our word “pirouette” directly from French, in which language it has the same meaning, i.e. a rotation in dancing. “Pirouette” is also the French word for “spinning top”.

20. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDS

Estimated time of departure (ETD)

21. Patronize Airbnb : RENT

Airbnb is a website-based service that matches people wanting to rent out short-term living quarters to people seeking accommodation.

26. Clinton opponent Dole : BOB

Despite all Bob Dole’s success in the world of politics, he is remembered by many as the VP candidate who lost to Walter Mondale (and Jimmy Carter) and the presidential candidate who lost to incumbent Bill Clinton. The man is a true war hero. He joined up in 1942 and fought with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Italy. In 1945 he was hit by machine gun fire in his right arm and back Dole was so badly injured that his comrades could only dose him up with morphine, write “M” on his forehead with his own blood (so that another, fatal dose of morphine would not be administered) and continue fighting the battle. Dole had to wait nine hours to be evacuated from the battlefield, and wait another three years before being discharged from hospital back in the States.

27. Fawn’s mom : DOE

A fawn is a young deer, usually one less than a year old.

28. Partner of hearty : HALE

Both the words “hale” and “healthy” derive from the Old English “hal” meaning healthy.

29. Snake with a tight grip : 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.

33. Most suburban residences… or, in a military sense, the ends of 17-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across : PRIVATE HOUSES

The lowest military rank of soldier is often called “private” (pvt.). The term comes from the Middle Ages when “private soldiers” were hired or conscripted by noblemen to form a private army. The more generic usage of “private” started in the 1700s.

39. Captains’ diaries : LOGS

The word “logbook” dates back to the days when the captain of a ship kept a daily record of the vessel’s speed, progress etc. using a “log”. A log was a wooden float on a knotted line that was dropped overboard to measure speed through the water.

44. Mango leftover : PIT

The delicious mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Almost half of the world’s supply of mangoes comes from India.

46. “Theft” on a diamond : STOLEN BASE

That would be baseball.

50. Bohr or Borge, by birth : DANE

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.

Victor Borge was such a talented Danish entertainer. He was nicknamed “The Great Dane” as well as “The Clown Prince of Denmark”. Borge was a trained concert pianist, but soon discovered that the addition of a stand up comedy routine to his musical presentations brought him a lot of work. He toured Europe in the 1930s, and found himself in trouble for telling anti-Nazi jokes, so when Germany occupied Denmark during WWII Borge escaped to America.

52. Cyprus currency : EURO

Cyprus is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, a member of the European Union. Cyprus is a divided island, with the Republic of Cyprus controlling about 60% of its area. The remaining 40% calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and is occupied by Turkish forces.

53. MIT Chapel designer Saarinen : EERO

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect who was renowned in this country for his unique designs for public buildings such as Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Dulles International Airport Terminal, and the TWA building at JFK. The list of his lesser-known, but still impressive, works includes several buildings erected on academic campuses. For example, the Chapel and Kresge Auditorium on the MIT campus, the Emma Hartman Noyes House at Vassar College, the Law School building at the University of Chicago, and Yale’s David S. Ingalls Rink.

55. Secretary of Defense, for one : CABINET POST

In the Westminster system, the Cabinet is a group of sitting politicians chosen by the Prime Minister to head up government departments and also to participate collectively in major governmental decisions in all areas. In the US system, the Cabinet is made up not of sitting politicians, but rather of non-legislative individuals who are considered to have expertise in a particular area. The Cabinet members in the US system tend to have more of an advisory role outside of their own departments.

The largest government department in the cabinet is the Department of Defense (DOD), with a permanent staff of over 600,000. The smallest department, by far, is the Department of Education, with a mere four or five thousand employees.

58. Floral luau wear : LEI

The Hawaiian party or feast known as a “luau” really dates back to 1819, when King Kamehameha II removed religious laws that governed the eating of meals. These laws called for women and men to eat separately. At the same time as he changed the laws, the king initiated the luau tradition by symbolically eating with the women who moved in his circle.

59. “Sin City” actress Jessica : ALBA

Actress Jessica Alba got her big break when she was cast in the Fox science fiction show “Dark Angel”. Alba had a tough life growing up as she spent a lot of time in hospital and so found it difficult to develop friendships. As a youngster she twice had a collapsed lung, frequently caught pneumonia, suffered from asthma, had a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst. On top of all that, Alba acknowledges that she suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child.

“Sin City” is a 2005 thriller movie that is based on a series of graphic novels by Frank Miller. Miller also co-directs the film. “Sin City” has a large ensemble cast that includes Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen and Mickey Rourke. The author Frank Miller even plays a role himself.

61. Clairvoyant’s claim : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

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”.

Down

2. Hoops pass to a high flier : ALLEY-OOP

An alley-oop is a play in basketball in which one player lobs the ball close to the basket for a teammate who usually scores with a slam dunk.

5. Torah cabinets : ARKS

The Torah ark is found in a synagogue, and is the ornamental container in which are stored the Torah scrolls. The word “Torah” best translates as “teaching”, I am told.

8. Téa of “Madam Secretary” : LEONI

Téa Leoni is an American actress. One of Leoni’s early parts was in the great film “A League of Their Own” (a minor role, Racine at first base). She also played the fiancée of Sam Malone from “Cheers” on the spin-off sitcom “Frasier”. A leading role on the big screen was opposite Adam Sandler in “Spanglish”. My favorite of her more prominent movie roles was as Jane in “Fun with Dick and Jane”. Leoni started playing the title role in the drama series “Madam Secretary” in 2014, and that’s a show I quite enjoy …

“Madam Secretary” is A TV show that first aired in 2014. It is about an ex-CIA analyst who is appointed as US Secretary of State. Téa Leoni plays the title role, ably supported by a favorite actress of mine, Bebe Neuwirth. I like this show …

11. Bona fide : ACTUAL

“Bona fide(s)” translates from the Latin as “in good faith”, and is used to indicate honest intentions. It can also mean that something is authentic, like a piece of art that is represented in good faith as being genuine.

24. Ryan with seven no-hitters : NOLAN

Nolan Ryan is famous for having more career strikeouts that any other baseball pitcher. However, he also holds the record for the most career walks and wild pitches. Another record that Ryan holds is the most no-hitters, a total of seven over his career.

32. Bacall’s love, familiarly : BOGIE

Humphrey “Bogie” Bogart’s breakthrough movie was “The Petrified Forest” from 1936, but for me nothing beats “Casablanca”. That said, check out the original “Sabrina” from 1954. It’s a real delight. Bogie was nominated three times for a Best Actor Oscar, but only won once: for “The African Queen”.

What a bombshell Lauren Bacall was, with that husky voice and her quiet, suggestive manner. Bacall was born in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents from Europe. She was actually a first cousin of Shimon Peres, the former President and Prime Minister of Israel. Famously, Bacall was married to Humphrey Bogart, from 1945 until his passing in 1957.

35. Boards, as a bus : HOPS ON

We use the term “bus” for a mode of transportation, as it is an abbreviated form of the original “omnibus”. We imported “omnibus” via French from Latin, in which language it means “for all”. The idea is that an omnibus is a “carriage for all”.

36. Leafy salad green : ESCAROLE

Endive is a leaf vegetable belonging to the chicory genus, and is in the daisy family. Endive is also known as “escarole”.

42. “Sticks and __ may break … ” : STONES

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But words will never hurt me.

46. Deli counter weighing device : SCALE

The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.

47. Writer Zora __ Hurston : NEALE

Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, most famous for her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Like the author, the main character in the novel is an African American woman, a part played by Halle Berry in a television movie adaptation that first aired in 2005.

48. Forrest’s shrimp-loving friend : BUBBA

In the celebrated movie “Forrest Gump”, Forrest befriends Bubba Blue after he enlists in the US Army. The pair make a pact to go into the shrimping business together. Bubba is killed in Vietnam, but Forrest decides to fulfill his promise to his friend and opens the very successful Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Tom Hanks of course plays the title role in the film, and Bubba Blue is played by Mykelti Williamson.

49. Sans-serif font : ARIAL

Serifs are details on the ends of characters in some typefaces. Typefaces without serifs are known as sans-serif, using the French word “sans” meaning “without” and “serif” from the Dutch “schreef” meaning “line”. Some people say that serif fonts are easier to read on paper, whereas sans-serif fonts work better on a computer screen. I’m not so sure though …

50. Train station : DEPOT

Our term “depot”, meaning “station, warehouse”, comes from the French word “dépôt”. The French term translates into English as “deposit” or “place of deposit”.

53. Jazz singer Jones : ETTA

Etta Jones was a jazz singer, sometimes known as the “jazz musician’s jazz singer”. Because she has a similar name to Etta James, Jones was often confused with the more popular singer. Jones never really had any huge commercial success though, despite the respect that she engendered within the inner sanctums of the jazz world.

56. PC key to the left of F1 : ESC

On many computer keyboards, the escape key (Esc) is located beside the first function key (F1).

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Largest city in the Bahamas : NASSAU
7. Beauty chain with a salon inside each store : ULTA
11. High-level H.S. classes : APS
14. Takes in or lets out : ALTERS
15. Not at all far : NEAR
16. Milked animal : COW
17. Bedding structure for kids : BLANKET FORT
19. Pirouette pivot point : TOE
20. Approx. takeoff hrs. : ETDS
21. Patronize Airbnb : RENT
22. “Fine with me” : SURE
23. Sight organs : EYES
24. Place for people with nothing to hide? : NUDIST CAMP
26. Clinton opponent Dole : BOB
27. Fawn’s mom : DOE
28. Partner of hearty : HALE
29. Snake with a tight grip : BOA
30. Otherwise : ELSE
32. “It’s freezing out here!” : BRR!
33. Most suburban residences… or, in a military sense, the ends of 17-, 24-, 46- and 55-Across : PRIVATE HOUSES
38. Crime family head : DON
39. Captains’ diaries : LOGS
40. Bro, to a sis : SIB
42. Liquor amount downed in a gulp : SHOT
44. Mango leftover : PIT
45. Burst into tears : CRY
46. “Theft” on a diamond : STOLEN BASE
50. Bohr or Borge, by birth : DANE
51. Evacuation center beds : COTS
52. Cyprus currency : EURO
53. MIT Chapel designer Saarinen : EERO
54. Tiny crawler : ANT
55. Secretary of Defense, for one : CABINET POST
58. Floral luau wear : LEI
59. “Sin City” actress Jessica : ALBA
60. Impassive : STOLID
61. Clairvoyant’s claim : ESP
62. Genuine : REAL
63. Provides food for, as a party : CATERS

Down

1. Catch : NAB
2. Hoops pass to a high flier : ALLEY-OOP
3. Regulatory legal association : STATE BAR
4. Mails : SENDS
5. Torah cabinets : ARKS
6. Take advantage of : USE
7. Like a ravenous cat : UNFED
8. Téa of “Madam Secretary” : LEONI
9. Fruit pastries : TARTS
10. Paintings, sculpture, etc. : ART
11. Bona fide : ACTUAL
12. Words of self-pity : POOR ME
13. Win every game : SWEEP
18. Most sincere : TRUEST
22. Accident mementos : SCARS
23. Flow back : EBB
24. Ryan with seven no-hitters : NOLAN
25. Rocket booster’s push : THRUST
27. Dedicate, as time : DEVOTE
31. Snakelike fish : EEL
32. Bacall’s love, familiarly : BOGIE
34. Objects of adulation : IDOLS
35. Boards, as a bus : HOPS ON
36. Leafy salad green : ESCAROLE
37. Emphatic military denial : SIR! NO SIR!
41. ”Till next time” : BYE
42. “Sticks and __ may break … ” : STONES
43. Inside track info : HOT TIP
46. Deli counter weighing device : SCALE
47. Writer Zora __ Hurston : NEALE
48. Forrest’s shrimp-loving friend : BUBBA
49. Sans-serif font : ARIAL
50. Train station : DEPOT
53. Jazz singer Jones : ETTA
55. Compact __ : CAR
56. PC key to the left of F1 : ESC
57. NFL scores : TDS

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16 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword 15 Oct 18, Monday”

  1. isn’t the jazz singer etta james, or is there a etta jones? never heard of etta jones.

      1. I think it’s more charitably referred to as “expanding the horizons of a captive audience” … 😜.

  2. Today’s puzzle10/15/18 says jazz singer jones, its Etta james. I never heard of Etta Jones.

  3. @Cathy … See this Wikipedia page about Etta Jones. (I’d never heard of her, either.)

    LAT: 7:16, no errors; had a hard time finding a copy to download and the one I finally got had hard-to-read numbers. Newsday: 4:59, no errors. WSJ: 7:51, no errors. BEQ: 35:41, no errors; very difficult, due to things I didn’t know; I’m surprised that I was able to finish it at all.

    New Yorker will have to wait, as I have errands to run.

  4. Easy.
    Never heard of ETTA Jones, but filled her right in, like a fool.
    But, guess what? There was one. 1928-2001.

  5. 7:54. I read ETTA Jones as James anyway so no confustion there. I just read it wrong…which helped.

    Bone chilling cold here in Las Vegas today. Very windy and might not even hit 70 degrees…

    Best –

  6. New Yorker: 38:30, no errors. Quite difficult, particularly the top three rows. Lots of references (mostly in the clues, but also, to some extent, in the entries) to people and things I’d never heard of. But … ultimately … doable … 😜.

    The New Yorker pay wall, particularly on my iPad, has developed a really vicious streak. I have to make repeated attempts to get it to work (particularly at the end, when I’m trying to download the answer key). I suppose it’s their right, but it’s not going to make them any friends in the cruciverbalist community … 😳.

  7. LAT: 7:02, no errors. As for Etta Jones, it’s just another thing out of legions that I don’t know and guess on with these crosswords. Most of these crosswords (50-90% or so depending on the day of the week) are filled with those for me. WSJ: 8:51, no errors. Got the meta right. Newsday: 5:30, no errors. Pretty routine.

    New Yorker: 34:46, no errors. Usual guess fest but nothing out of the ordinary.

    BEQ: DNF after 34:25, 1 error. Nothing to difficult compared to anything else I run into, but got stuck where I couldn’t guess anything in the upper left where there’s 3 proper names crossing another proper name, along with the usual nebulous/cynical cluing elsewhere. Not to mention, a proper name crossing a kind of clothing I’ve never heard of before. But like most of my DNFs, tantalizingly close to completion.

    Overall, a fairly decent set (counting the NYT weekend) that I didn’t get too frustrated over. All easier than last Saturday’s LAT…

    1. @Glenn … I have been somewhat mystified by your comments about last Saturday’s LAT. As a result, I’ve now reviewed it a couple of times and, except for the lower left, where I temporarily went off the rails, I see little to have had much trouble with. I would like to have been present when you were working on it, just to see where the trouble spots were. And then, today, you seem not to have found the New Yorker all that unusual, whereas I thought it was quite difficult (to the point that, briefly, I was afraid I might have to give up on it). I guess what it proves is just that one person’s knowledge base and another’s may be nearly orthogonal. Very odd …

    2. Further evidence: Out of curiosity, I just did last Sunday’s Washington Post crossword: 37:39, with no errors, but I found parts of it pretty thoughtful, whereas you reported a time of 20:36, with no errors, and didn’t indicate having much difficulty with it, which I think is pretty spectacular. Some of the difference in time might be due to my doing it on paper, but I doubt if I could have done it much faster online. (It was a fun puzzle, by the way, so thanks for mentioning it 😜.)

  8. Breezed through today, but Sundays was a ……..b—h! Only did about 40% of it. And even seeing the answers, wasn’t impressed.

    Windy here in LA, but warming up. The Ol’ Santa Ana’s are back, and we hope NO FIRES come with it.

  9. About 7 minutes on paper. No errors – it is a Monday so that is a given …
    I am Canadian so I have never heard of ULTA

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