LA Times Crossword 6 May 19, Monday

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Constructed by: Brock Wilson
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Pall to Pull

Themed answers start with PxLL, where “x” is a vowel progression as we drop through the grid:

  • 17A Coffin carrier : PALLBEARER
  • 31A College student’s federal subsidy : PELL GRANT
  • 38A Prescription meds scheduling aid : PILL ORGANIZER
  • 43A One sampling opinions : POLL TAKER
  • 60A One whose batted balls rarely go to the opposite field, in baseball lingo : PULL HITTER

Bill’s time: 5m 23s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15 Trash bag brand : HEFTY

Hefty is a brand of trash bags and related products.

16 Oxen connector : YOKE

A yoke is a wooden beam used between a pair of animals so that they are forced to work together.

17 Coffin carrier : PALLBEARER

A pall is a cloth used to cover a casket at a funeral. Pallbearers actually carry the coffin, covered by the pall. The phrase “casting a pall over”, meaning to create a dark mood, is metaphorical use of the pall over the casket.

21 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.

23 Chinese toy dog : SHIH TZU

The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest breeds of dog, and a breed that originated in China. Shih Tzus have long hairy coats but they don’t shed.

25 Blood-typing letters : ABO

Here is an approximate distribution of blood types across the US population:

  • O-positive: 38 percent
  • O-negative: 7 percent
  • A-positive: 34 percent
  • A-negative: 6 percent
  • B-positive: 9 percent
  • B-negative: 2 percent
  • AB-positive: 3 percent
  • AB-negative: 1 percent

30 Alien-seeking gp. : SETI

“SETI” is the name given to a number of projects that are searching for extraterrestrial life. The acronym stands for “search for extraterrestrial intelligence”. One of the main SETI activities is the monitoring of electromagnetic radiation (such as radio waves) reaching the Earth in the hope of finding a transmission from a civilization in another world.

31 College student’s federal subsidy : PELL GRANT

Pell Grants are awarded by the federal government to students in financial need so that they can attend college. The grant is named for Claiborne Pell, the US senator who sponsored the bill that introduced aid for students.

42 Prefix with graphic or centric : GEO-

Heliocentrism is the astronomical model that has the Earth and other planets revolving the Sun at the center of the Solar System. The geocentric model holds that the Earth is the center of the Universe.

50 Summer in Paris : ETE

In French, “été” (summer) is a common time to go “en vacances” (on vacation).

51 Veteran sailor : OLD SALT

“Sea dog” and “old salt” are familiar terms for a sailor, especially one that has lots of experience.

54 TiVo predecessor : VCR

TiVo was introduced in 1999 and was the world’s first commercially successful Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

56 Baseball family name : ALOU

Felipe Alou is a former professional baseball player and manager. Alou managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001, and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006. Alou was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and came to the US to play for the Giants in 1955. Felipe’s brothers Matty and Jesús followed him to the US, and into Major League baseball.

57 Progressive insurance spokeswoman : FLO

Progressive is a popular auto insurance company, the one that uses the perky character named “Flo” as a spokeswoman. Flo is played by comedian and actress Stephanie Courtney.

58 “Piano Man” Billy : JOEL

“Piano Man” is a great 1973 song released by Billy Joel, his first ever single. The song reflects Joel’s own experiences working a piano-lounge singer in a Los Angeles bar called the Executive Room. The lyrics mention a “waitress practicing politics”, which is a reference to Elizabeth Weber who worked at the Executive Room and was Joel’s first wife.

60 One whose batted balls rarely go to the opposite field, in baseball lingo : PULL HITTER

That would be baseball.

63 Opposite of baja : ALTA

In Spanish, “baja” is “low” and “alta” is “high”.

64 Where to find Delhi sandwiches : INDIA

New Delhi is the capital city of India. New Delhi resides within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (otherwise known as the metropolis of Delhi). New Delhi and Delhi, therefore, are two different things.

67 State sch. near Hartford : UCONN

The University of Connecticut (UConn) was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, taking its name from the Storrs brothers who donated the land and provided initial funding. The school is in the village of Storrs, Connecticut located about 25 miles east of Hartford.

Down

3 Literally, “with milk,” as café : AU LAIT

“Café au lait” (coffee with milk) is usually strong drip coffee to which one adds steamed milk. Well, that’s the way we tend to make in this country.

4 Good cholesterol, briefly : HDL

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is a compound that is used to transport fats around the body. When HDL is combined with (i.e. is transporting) cholesterol, it is often called “good cholesterol”. This is because HDL seems to remove cholesterol from where it should not be, say on the walls of arteries, and transports it to the liver for reuse or disposal. Important stuff …

5 __ Whiz: processed spread : CHEEZ

The processed cheese spread called Cheez Whiz was introduced by Kraft in 1952. Believe it or not, it’s still around …

8 Sault __ Marie : STE

Sault Ste. Marie is the name of two cities on either side of the Canada-US border, one in Ontario and the other in Michigan. The two cities were originally one settlement in the 17th century, established by Jesuit Missionaries. The missionaries gave the settlement the name “Sault Sainte Marie”, which can be translated as “Saint Mary’s Falls”. The city was one community until 1817, when a US-UK Joint Boundary Commission set the border along the St. Mary’s River.

9 Damascus is its cap. : SYR

Damascus is the second largest city in Syria (after Aleppo), and is the country’s capital. Damascus has the distinction of being the oldest, continuously-inhabited city in the world, having been settled in the 2nd millennium BC. Also, it has the nickname “City of Jasmine”.

12 ’50s White House nickname : IKE

When the future president was growing up, the Eisenhowers used the nickname “Ike” for all seven boys in the family, as “Ike” was seen as an abbreviation for the family name. “Big Ike” was Edgar, the second oldest boy. “Little/Young Ike” was Dwight, who was the third son born. Dwight had no sisters.

22 Stymie, in a porcine way : HOG-TIE

The word “stymie” comes from golf, and is a situation in which one’s approach to the hole is blocked by an opponent’s ball. We use the term more broadly for a distressing situation.

“Porcine” means “of a pig”, coming into English via French from the Latin “porcus” meaning “pig”.

24 Early Jewish scholar : HILLEL

Hillel the Elder was an important Jewish religious leader and scholar who lived in the first century BCE. Two popular sayings are attributed to Hillel:

  • If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?
  • That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.

25 Pond organism : 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.

26 Flashy jewelry : BLING

Bling-bling (often simply “bling”) is the name given to all the shiny stuff sported by rap stars in particular i.e. the jewelry, watches, metallic cell phones, even gold caps on the teeth. The term comes from the supposed “bling” sound caused by light striking a shiny metal surface.

28 U.S. dept. with a bolt 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.

29 TD’s six : PTS

Touchdown (TD)

35 Coat named for an Irish province : ULSTER

If you’ve watched Victorian dramas, you might have seen the original Ulster coat, which is very distinctive. It is a full-length, heavy coat, with an attached cape made from the same material that hangs down as far as the waist. The cape was dropped in the 20th century, and now an Ulster a relatively simple, hard-wearing, double-breasted overcoat.

38 Lowly worker : PEON

A peon is a lowly worker who has no real control over his/her working conditions. The word “peon” comes into English from Spanish, in which language it has the same meaning.

41 Second afterthought, in a ltr. : PPS

One adds a PS (post scriptum, or simply “postscript”) at the end of a letter (ltr.). A second postscript is a post post scriptum, a PPS.

46 Lounging robe : CAFTAN

A kaftan (also “caftan”) is long robe associated for thousands of years with Islamic cultures.

48 Target and Walmart : STORES

Target Corporation was founded by George Draper Dayton in 1902 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as Dayton Dry Goods Company. Dayton developed into a department store, and the company opened up a discount store chain in 1962, calling it Target. Today, Target is the second-largest discount retailer in the country, after Walmart.

Walmart (previously “Wal-Mart”) takes in more revenue than any other publicly traded company in the world. Over in my homeland, Walmart operates under the name Asda. Walmart’s worldwide headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, the home of Sam Walton’s original Five and Dime. You can actually go into the original store, as it is now the Walmart Visitor Center.

52 Lindsay of “Freaky Friday” : LOHAN

I think that actress Lindsay Lohan’s big break came with the Disney remake of “The Parent Trap” in 1998. I’ve really only enjoyed one of Lohan’s films though, “Freaky Friday” from 2003 in which she stars alongside the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis.

53 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).

56 Designer Gucci : ALDO

Gucci was founded in Rome, in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Guccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.

58 Fruity toast topper : JAM

Jelly is made using strained juice from crushed fruit. Jam is similar, but the whole crushed fruit is used, and often includes seeds.

59 Fútbol cheer : OLE!

“Fútbol” is the Spanish word for “football, soccer”.

60 More, musically : PIU

“Più” is the Italian word for “more” and is often seen on musical scores, as in “più allegro” (more quickly) and “più mosso” (with more movement).

62 Not quite a crowd? : TWO

Because, three’s a crowd.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Meh : BLAH
5 Crude, as behavior : CRASS
10 Journey : TRIP
14 “I wish __ told me” : YOU’D
15 Trash bag brand : HEFTY
16 Oxen connector : YOKE
17 Coffin carrier : PALLBEARER
19 Writer of verse : POET
20 Words before time or clip : AT A …
21 MIT Chapel designer Saarinen : EERO
22 Sewn dress edge : HEM
23 Chinese toy dog : SHIH TZU
25 Blood-typing letters : ABO
27 Sales team member : REP
30 Alien-seeking gp. : SETI
31 College student’s federal subsidy : PELL GRANT
34 Carry with effort : LUG
37 Stirs up trouble : AGITATES
38 Prescription meds scheduling aid : PILL ORGANIZER
41 Column base : PEDESTAL
42 Prefix with graphic or centric : GEO-
43 One sampling opinions : POLL TAKER
45 Early color TVs : RCAS
49 Cold-sounding product prefix : SNO-
50 Summer in Paris : ETE
51 Veteran sailor : OLD SALT
54 TiVo predecessor : VCR
56 Baseball family name : ALOU
57 Progressive insurance spokeswoman : FLO
58 “Piano Man” Billy : JOEL
60 One whose batted balls rarely go to the opposite field, in baseball lingo : PULL HITTER
63 Opposite of baja : ALTA
64 Where to find Delhi sandwiches : INDIA
65 Pay to a worker : WAGE
66 Dog : woof :: cat : __ : MEOW
67 State sch. near Hartford : UCONN
68 Singles : ONES

Down

1 Road that avoids town traffic : BYPASS
2 Hate : LOATHE
3 Literally, “with milk,” as café : AU LAIT
4 Good cholesterol, briefly : HDL
5 __ Whiz: processed spread : CHEEZ
6 Rise defensively on two legs, as a horse : REAR UP
7 Picked hairdo : AFRO
8 Sault __ Marie : STE
9 Damascus is its cap. : SYR
10 Key in : TYPE
11 Hotel cost per night : ROOM RATE
12 ’50s White House nickname : IKE
13 Adopted cat, e.g. : PET
18 Raise or call, say : BET
22 Stymie, in a porcine way : HOG-TIE
24 Early Jewish scholar : HILLEL
25 Pond organism : ALGA
26 Flashy jewelry : BLING
28 U.S. dept. with a bolt on its seal : ENER
29 TD’s six : PTS
32 Sharp-eyed bird : EAGLE
33 Sideburns trimmers : RAZORS
35 Coat named for an Irish province : ULSTER
36 Was able to reach : GOT AT
38 Lowly worker : PEON
39 “My pleasure!” : I’D LOVE TO!
40 Tool with teeth : RAKE
41 Second afterthought, in a ltr. : PPS
44 Arrive, as fog : ROLL IN
46 Lounging robe : CAFTAN
47 Assert sans proof : ALLEGE
48 Target and Walmart : STORES
52 Lindsay of “Freaky Friday” : LOHAN
53 MADD concern : DUI
55 Curved hammer part : CLAW
56 Designer Gucci : ALDO
58 Fruity toast topper : JAM
59 Fútbol cheer : OLE!
60 More, musically : PIU
61 Auntie’s hubby : UNC
62 Not quite a crowd? : TWO