LA Times Crossword 28 Jan 19, Monday

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Constructed by: Susan Gelfand
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Reveal Answer: Cool Cat

Themed answers are famous people with the initials “AC”. Given that AC is an abbreviation for “air conditioning”, then those people might be described as “cool” cats:

  • 38A. Hipster, and based on their initials, what each of 16-, 22-, 52- and 61-Across is? : COOL CAT
  • 16A. “360°” CNN anchor : ANDERSON COOPER
  • 22A. “Uncle Vanya” playwright : ANTON CHEKHOV
  • 52A. “Appalachian Spring” composer : AARON COPLAND
  • 61A. 19th-century steel industry philanthropist who built an eponymous concert hall : ANDREW CARNEGIE

Bill’s time: 5m 44s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5. Cabo’s peninsula : BAJA

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

13. Cabinet dept. with an oil derrick 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 a lightning bolt and symbols denoting five sources of energy: the sun, an atom, an oil derrick, a windmill and a dynamo.

14. Immortal racehorse Man __ : O’ WAR

Man o’ War is thought by many to be the greatest thoroughbred racehorse of all time, having won 20 of 21 races in his career just after WWI.

16. “360°” CNN anchor : ANDERSON COOPER

Anderson Cooper is a respected news personality on CNN and on various shows around the dial. My favorite appearances of his, although he would call them trivial I am sure, was as host of a great reality game show called “The Mole” that aired in 2001.

22. “Uncle Vanya” playwright : ANTON CHEKHOV

Anton Chekhov was a Russian writer of short stories and a playwright, as well as a physician. He wrote four classic plays that are often performed all around the world, namely “The Seagull”, “Uncle Vanya”, “Three Sisters” and “The Cherry Orchard”. All the time Chekhov was writing, he continued to practice medicine. He is quoted as saying “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.”

Anton Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” was published in 1897. It is not really an “original” work, in the sense that it is a reworking of a play he wrote and published a decade earlier called “The Wood Demon”.

27. Yoga posture : ASANA

“Asana” is a Sanskrit word literally meaning “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.

28. Krypton or xenon : RARE GAS

The rare gases are better known as the noble gases, but neither term is really very accurate. Noble gas might be a better choice though, as they are all relatively unreactive. But rare they are not. Argon, for example, is a major constituent (1%) of the air that we breathe.

Krypton was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers. They chilled a sample of air, turning it into a liquid, and then warmed the liquid and separated out the gases that boiled off. Along with nitrogen, oxygen and argon (already known), the pair of scientists discovered two new gases. The first they called “krypton” and the second “neon”. “Krypton” is Greek for “the hidden one” and “neon” is Greek for “new”.

Xenon was the first of the noble gases to be made into a compound, which was somewhat remarkable in that the noble gases were thought by many to be completely inert, unreactive.

32. Semester : TERM

“Semester” is a German word from the Latin “semestris”, an adjective meaning “of six months”. We use the term in a system that divides an academic year into two roughly equal parts. A trimester-system has three parts, and a quarter-system has four.

35. One of about 268,600 in Tex. : SQ MI

The largest US states by land area are, in order:

  1. Alaska
  2. Texas
  3. California
  4. Montana
  5. New Mexico

The smallest US states are:

  1. Rhode Island
  2. Delaware
  3. Connecticut
  4. New Jersey
  5. New Hampshire

36. You, to Yves : TOI

In French, the pronouns “toi” and “vous” both mean “you”, with the former being used with family and friends, and children. “Vous” is more formal, and is also the plural form of “toi”.

44. Like Letterman’s humor : WRY

Talk show host and comedian David Letterman has been appearing on late night television since 1982. Letterman had the longest late-night hosting career on US television, even longer than the iconic Johnny Carson.

47. Dugout seats : BENCHES

A dugout is an underground shelter. The term was carried over to baseball because the dugout is slightly depressed below the level of the field. This allows spectators behind the dugout to get a good view of home plate, where a lot of the action takes place.

52. “Appalachian Spring” composer : AARON COPLAND

Aaron Copland was the most American of all classical composers, I think. Perhaps his most famous work is the “Fanfare for the Common Man”. The piece was written in 1942 and was intended to be uplifting in the gloomy years leading up to WWII. “Fanfare” is recognized not just for performances of the original, but also for the progressive rock version that was recorded by Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1977.

Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” premiered in 1944 as a ballet commissioned by Martha Graham and Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. The work is better known today as an orchestral suite. Copland reworked “Appalachian Spring” into a suite in 1945, having been commissioned to do so by Artur Rodziński, the conductor of the New York Philharmonic.

59. Tokyo’s former name : EDO

“Edo” is the former name of the Japanese city of Tokyo. Edo was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, a feudal regime that ruled from 1603 until 1868. The shogun lived in the magnificent Edo Castle. Some parts of the original castle remain and today’s Tokyo Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Japan, was built on its grounds.

60. When repeated, a Gabor : ZSA

Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hungarian American actress, born in Budapest as Sári Gábor (the older sister of the actress Eva). Zsa Zsa Gabor was married a whopping nine times, including a 5-year stint with Conrad Hilton and another 5 years with the actor George Sanders. One of Gabor’s famous quips was that she was always a good housekeeper, as after every divorce she kept the house!

61. 19th-century steel industry philanthropist who built an eponymous concert hall : ANDREW CARNEGIE

Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist and philanthropist from Scotland who made his fame and fortune in the US steel industry. He founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892, which was destined to become US Steel. After he sold Carnegie Steel, making his fortune, Carnegie devoted the rest of his life to philanthropy. Famously, he built Carnegie Hall in New York, founded Carnegie Mellon University in PIttsburgh, and set up several charitable trust funds that are still doing valuable work today.

68. Dunham of “Girls” : LENA

Lena Dunham is a co-star in the HBO series “Girls”, and is also the show’s creator. Dunham garnered a lot of attention for herself during the 2012 US Presidential election cycle as she starred in an ad focused on getting out the youth vote. In the spot, she compared voting for the first time with having sex for the first time.

70. H.S. math subject : GEOM

Our word “geometry” comes from Greek. The Greek “geometria” translates as “geometry, measurement of earth or land”. Hence, there is a link between terms like “geography” and “geology”, and the mathematical word “geometry”.

71. Clog fillers : FEET

Clogs are shoes made from wood, at least in part. The clog originated as a protective item of footwear for use by farm, factory and mine workers.

Down

3. British alphabet ender : ZED

The letter named “zed” has been around since about 1400, and derives from the Greek letter zeta. The spelling and pronunciation “zee”, used in America today, first popped up in the 1670s. The spelling and pronunciation “zed” is still used in Britain and Ireland.

4. Bard’s “before” : ERE

The original bards were storytellers, poets and composers of music in medieval Britain and Ireland, with the term coming from the Old Celtic word “bardos” that described a poet or singer. I guess the most famous bard was William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

5. Title cop played by Titus Welliver : BOSCH

“Bosch” is a well-written police drama series produced by Amazon Studios. The title character, detective Harry Bosch, is portrayed by Titus Welliver. Harry Bosch features in a series of novels by Michael Connelly, who is also the TV show’s creator.

Actor Titus Welliver is probably best known for recurring appearances in TV shows. Perhaps most notably, he played the “Man in Black” in the show “Lost”, and the title character in the excellent Amazon web TV show “Bosch”.

7. First mo. : JAN

The original Roman calendar had only ten months, starting with “Mars” (March). The months of “Ianuarius” and “Februarius” were added to the end of the year, supposedly by Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome. Julius Caesar decided in 46 BC that the year should start at the beginning of “Ianuarius” instead of “Mars”, which moved our January and February to the beginning of the year.

8. Rainbow shape : ARC

Sunlight shining through airborne water droplets can produce rainbows. The water droplets act as little prisms, dispersing the white light into its constituent colors. Sometimes we see double rainbows. If we look carefully, we can see that the order of the colors in the first and second arcs is reversed.

17. Rock’s Ocasek : RIC

Ric Ocasek is an American musician of Czech heritage. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band known as the Cars.

18. Dumpster emanation : ODOR

“Dumpster” is one of those words that we use generically even though it is actually a brand name. The original “Dumpster” was patented by the Dempster Brothers of Knoxville, Tennessee. “Dumpster” is derived from “dump” and “Dempster”.

24. Agent on a bust : NARC

“Narc” is a slang term for a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated with illegal drugs. “Narc” is short for “narcotics officer”. Narcs might work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

25. McDonald’s founder Ray : 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. He was played by Michael Keaton in the movie about Ray Kroc’s business life called “The Founder”.

29. Stylish men’s monthly : GQ MAGAZINE

The men’s magazine known today as “GQ” used to be titled “Gentlemen’s Quarterly”. It was known as “Apparel Arts” when launched in 1931.

36. Restaurant bill : TAB

When we run a tab at a bar say, we are running a “tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

40. Baseball rain delay cover : TARP

Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

43. Like Capone’s face : SCARRED

When Al Capone was a young man, he worked as a bouncer in nightclubs and saloons. He was working the door of a Brooklyn night spot one evening when he apparently insulted a woman, sparking off a fight with her brother. In the tussle, Capone’s face was slashed three times. Capone wasn’t too proud of the incident, nor the “Scarface” moniker that he was given as a result. He always hid the scars as best he could when being photographed, and was also fond of telling people that the scars were from old war wounds.

51. Kiss in a busy store, for short : PDA

Public display of affection (PDA)

54. PC drive insert : CD-ROM

“CD-ROM” stands for “compact disc read only memory”. The name indicates that you can read information from the disc (like a standard music CD for example), but you cannot write to it. You can also buy a CD-RW, which stands for “compact disc – rewritable”, with which you can read data and also write over it multiple times using a suitable CD drive.

55. Buff suffix : -OON

A buffoon is a clown or jester, although the term “buffoon” tends to be used more figuratively to describe someone foolish and ridiculous. The term comes from the Italian “buffa” meaning “joke”.

57. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL

An enol is an alkene with a hydroxyl group, and so is part-alkene and part-alcohol. The term “enol”, therefore, is a portmanteau of “alkene” and “alcohol”.

58. Axe relative : ADZE

An adze (also “adz”) is similar to an axe, but is different in that the blade of an adze is set at right angles to the tool’s shaft. An axe blade is set in line with the shaft.

63. Billiards stick : CUE

The name of the game billiards comes from the French word “billiard” that originally described the wooden cue stick. The Old French “bille” translates as “stick of wood”.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Take it easy : LAZE
5. Cabo’s peninsula : BAJA
9. Sheepish smile : GRIN
13. Cabinet dept. with an oil derrick on its seal : ENER
14. Immortal racehorse Man __ : O’ WAR
15. What kneaded dough should do : RISE
16. “360°” CNN anchor : ANDERSON COOPER
19. Bud : BRO
20. “How disgusting!” : ICK!
21. Gave medicine to : DOSED
22. “Uncle Vanya” playwright : ANTON CHEKHOV
27. Yoga posture : ASANA
28. Krypton or xenon : RARE GAS
32. Semester : TERM
34. Pea surrounder : POD
35. One of about 268,600 in Tex. : SQ MI
36. You, to Yves : TOI
38. Hipster, and based on their initials, what each of 16-, 22-, 52- and 61-Across is? : COOL CAT
41. Blender setting : MIX
42. Hubbubs : ADOS
44. Like Letterman’s humor : WRY
45. “See ya later” : TA-TA
47. Dugout seats : BENCHES
49. Put together, as equipment : RIG UP
52. “Appalachian Spring” composer : AARON COPLAND
56. Lustrous bit of wisdom : PEARL
59. Tokyo’s former name : EDO
60. When repeated, a Gabor : ZSA
61. 19th-century steel industry philanthropist who built an eponymous concert hall : ANDREW CARNEGIE
66. Nod off : DOZE
67. Prefix with correct : AUTO-
68. Dunham of “Girls” : LENA
69. Snow transport : SLED
70. H.S. math subject : GEOM
71. Clog fillers : FEET

Down

1. Becomes aware of : LEARNS
2. Explanatory comment written in the margin, say : ANNOTATION
3. British alphabet ender : ZED
4. Bard’s “before” : ERE
5. Title cop played by Titus Welliver : BOSCH
6. Came to : AWOKE
7. First mo. : JAN
8. Rainbow shape : ARC
9. Slots cut with a chisel : GROOVES
10. Fabric flaws : RIPS
11. “Got it” : I SEE
12. Bookish type : NERD
17. Rock’s Ocasek : RIC
18. Dumpster emanation : ODOR
19. Sheep bleat : BAA
23. Half and half : ONE
24. Agent on a bust : NARC
25. McDonald’s founder Ray : KROC
26. Dove into vigorously, as work : HAD AT
29. Stylish men’s monthly : GQ MAGAZINE
30. Parisian pal : AMI
31. Common dinner hour : SIX
33. Grass cutter : MOWER
34. Two-__ tissue : PLY
36. Restaurant bill : TAB
37. Poem of praise : ODE
39. Approximately : OR SO
40. Baseball rain delay cover : TARP
43. Like Capone’s face : SCARRED
46. Up to, informally : ‘TIL
48. Partner of hearty : HALE
50. Vote out of office : UNSEAT
51. Kiss in a busy store, for short : PDA
53. “Sweet!” : NEATO!
54. PC drive insert : CD-ROM
55. Buff suffix : -OON
56. Footballer’s shoulder protection : PADS
57. Hydroxyl compound : ENOL
58. Axe relative : ADZE
62. Happy tail movement : WAG
63. Billiards stick : CUE
64. Legendary seasonal helper : ELF
65. “Holy cow!” : GEE!

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