LA Times Crossword Answers 13 Apr 2018, Friday

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Constructed by: David Alfred Bywaters
Edited by: Rich Norris

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Today’s Reveal Answer: Red Scare

We have a RED SCARE in today’s grid, with the letter sequence “RED” infiltrating common phrases to give the themed answers:

  • 63A. Post-WWII fear of infiltration apparently confirmed by four puzzle answers : RED SCARE
  • 24A. State of mind induced by monotonous music? : SONIC BOREDOM (from “sonic boom”)
  • 32A. BBQ item with a char? : SEARED DOG (from “sea dog”)
  • 43A. Object of trout-fishing veneration? : SACRED FLY (from “sac fly”)
  • 49A. Aversion to rodeo performers? : COWBOY HATRED (from “cowboy hat”)

Bill’s time: 7m 55s

Bill’s errors: 0

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Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

15. Basic substance : LYE

What we call “lye” is usually sodium hydroxide, although historically the term was used for potassium hydroxide. Lye has many uses, including to cure several foodstuffs. Lye can make olives less bitter, for example. The chemical is also found in canned mandarin oranges, pretzels and Japanese ramen noodles. More concentrated grades of lye are used to clear drains and clean ovens. Scary …

16. Rum accompaniment? : YO-HO-HO

The fictional sea shanty called “Dead Man’s Chest” was introduced in Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel, “Treasure Island”. In the book, Stevenson only describes the chorus, which goes:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

17. Staff symbol : BASS CLEF

“Clef” is the French word for “key”. In music, a clef is used to indicate the pitch of the notes written on the stave. The bass clef is also known as the F-clef, the alto clef is the C-clef, and the treble clef is the G-clef.

20. Ease, as thirst : SLAKE

To slake is to satisfy a craving, as in slaking one’s thirst.

23. Artist Magritte : RENE

Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work maybe is “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in a great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

35. Left-hand page : VERSO

The left and right pages of a book or magazine are known in publishing circles as verso and recto. “Recto” comes from the Latin for “right”, and “verso” comes from the Latin word for “turned”. The idea is that the left side of the page is turned and is the reverse of the recto/right side.

40. Croatia neighbor : SERBIA

Serbia is a landlocked country in southeast Europe. After WWII, Serbia became one of several states making up the nation called Yugoslavia. Serbia became independent again in 2006 as Yugoslavia broke up after the declaration of independence by Montenegro.

The Republic of Croatia is a Balkan country. The Croats declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Croatia became a member of NATO in 2009, and a member of the European Union in 2013.

41. Toe problem : BUNION

A bunion is a deformity that can develop in the joint connecting the big toe to the foot. A similar condition that affects the little toe is referred to as a bunionette, or Tailor’s bunion. The latter name arose when the affliction was attributed to sitting cross-legged, a posture adopted by many tailors of old.

42. The Beatles’ “All My Loving,” e.g. : OLDIE

“All My Loving” is a 1963 song performed by the Beatles and written by Paul McCartney. According to McCartney, it is one of the only of his songs for which he wrote the lyrics first, and then put to them to music.

46. Where some nursery rhyme baking occurs : IN A PIE

“Sing a Song of Sixpence” is an English nursery rhyme that dates back to the 1700s. In the rhyme there are a couple of lines that have always intrigued me:

Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie

This seems to be a reference to the practice in the 16th century of “baking” live birds into a pie for special occasions. When the crust was cut open the birds would fly away, much to the amusement of the diners.

55. Multicolored gem : OPAL

97% of the world’s opals come from Australia, so it’s no surprise perhaps that the opal is the national gemstone of the country. The state of South Australia provides the bulk of the world’s production, about 80%.

56. Kvbrick opvs? : MMI

The original Roman alphabet used the same symbol for the vowel U and the consonant V (a “U”), and for the vowel I and the consonant J (a “J”). Over time, the separate symbols “V” and “I” were introduced in Latin. That’s why you’ll sometimes see words like “JULIUS” written as “IVLIVS”.

In Latin, “MMI” (“2001”) is a “Kvbrick opvs” (Kubrick opus/work).

“2001: A Space Odyssey” is a groundbreaking 1968 sci-fi film that was inspired by an Arthur C. Clarke short story “The Sentinel”. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick teamed up to write the film’s screenplay. While working on the screenplay, Clarke wrote a novel with the same title as the film, and published it soon after the release of the movie.

63. Post-WWII fear of infiltration apparently confirmed by four puzzle answers : RED SCARE

After WWII the United States went through what was called a “Red Scare”, the fear of communist infiltration in American society and government. Senator Joseph McCarthy became a lightning rod for this movement when he chaired Senate hearings in the fifties designed to root out communist infiltrators. The period (1947-1956) is referred to as the Second Red Scare. The First Red Scare was at its height in 1919-1920, and was a fear of Bolshevism that arose after the Russian Revolution.

69. Big Apple Theater District restaurant : SARDI’S

Sardi’s is a famous restaurant in the Theater District of Manhattan that was opened in 1927 by Italian immigrant Vincent Sardi, Sr. Sardi’s is famous for attracting celebrities who sometimes pose for caricatures that are then displayed on the restaurant’s walls. After the death of actress and director Antoinette Perry in 1946, her friend and partner Brock Pemberton was having lunch at Sardi’s and came up with idea of a theater award that could be presented in Perry’s honor. The award was to be called the Tony Award. In fact, Vincent Sardi, Sr. was presented with a special Tony at the first award ceremony, held in 1947.

Down

1. Wine choices : CABS

The cabernet sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

3. Tableland : MESA

“What’s the difference between a butte and a mesa?” Both are hills with flat tops, but a mesa has a top that is wider than it is tall. A butte is a much narrower formation, taller than it is wide.

4. Revels (in), as praise : BASKS

Our verb “to bask”, meaning “to expose one to pleasant warmth”, is derived from the gruesome 14th-century term “basken”, meaning “to wallow in blood”. The contemporary usage apparently originated with Shakespeare, who employed “bask” with reference to sunshine in “As You Like It”.

6. Henna, e.g. : DYE

Henna has been used for centuries as a dye, not just for leather and wool, but also for the hair and skin. In modern days, henna is also used for temporary tattoos.

7. In actuality : DE FACTO

Conceptually, “de jure” and “de facto” are related terms, one meaning “concerning, according to law”, and the other meaning “concerning, according to fact”. There is an example of the use of the two terms together from my homeland of Ireland. According to our constitution, Irish is the first language of the country, and yet almost everyone in the country uses English as his or her first language. One might say that Irish is the de jure first language, but English is the first language de facto.

8. Big name in British comedy : PYTHON

The zany comedy show called “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” first aired in 1969 on the BBC. The show ran for four seasons and finished up soon after John Cleese decided to leave the team and move onto other projects.

9. Beluga yield : ROE

Caviar is the roe of a large fish that has been salted and seasoned, and especially the roe of a sturgeon. Beluga caviar comes from the beluga sturgeon, found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It is the most expensive type of caviar in the world. 8 ounces of US-farmed beluga caviar can be purchased through Amazon.com for just over $850, in case you’re feeling peckish …

10. United hub : O’HARE

O’Hare International is the fourth busiest airport in the world. The original airport was constructed on the site between 1942 and 1943, and was used by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the manufacture of planes during WWII. Before the factory and airport were built, there was a community in the area called Orchard Place, so the airport was called Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. This name is the derivation of the airport’s current location identifier: ORD (OR-chard D-ouglas). Orchard Place Airport was renamed to O’Hare International in 1949 in honor of Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare who grew up in Chicago. O’Hare was the US Navy’s first flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient in WWII.

11. Island vacation ride : MOPED

The word “moped” was coined in 1952 by a Swedish journalist called Harald Nielsen. The term is a portmanteau of “motor” and “pedal”.

13. Tribal symbol : TOTEM

“Totem” is the name given to any entity that watches over a group of people. As such, totems are usually the subjects of worship. Totem poles are really misnamed, as they are not intended to represent figures to be worshiped, but rather are heraldic in nature often celebrating the legends or notable events in the history of a tribe.

18. Board boss : CEO

Chief executive officer (CEO)

25. Uno menos uno, to Unamuno : NADA

In Spanish, “uno menos uno” (one minus one) gives “nada” (nothing).

Miguel de Unamuno was a Spanish author from the nation’s Basque Country.

27. Variety show : REVUE

“Revue” is the French word for “review”.

28. __ buco : OSSO

“Osso” is the Italian word for bone, as in the name of the dish “osso buco”, which features braised veal shanks.

30. Homer, e.g. : BARD

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.

Homer was a famous poet of Ancient Greece who is believed to be the author of the two classic epic poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. However, some scholars believe that Homer did not actually exist, but rather he is the personification of oral tradition that was passed down through the ages.

33. Batter’s stat : RBI

Run batted in (RBI)

34. Three-note refrain : E-I-E-I-O

There was an American version of the English children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” (E-I-E-I-O), that was around in the days of WWI. The first line of the US version goes “Old MacDougal had a farm, in Ohio-i-o”.

37. Jazz phrase : RIFF

A riff is a short rhythmic phrase in music, especially one improvised on a guitar.

38. Concerto cadenza, e.g. : SOLO

“Cadenza” is a musical term, the name for a passage that is sung or played by a soloist. A cadenza is often encountered in a concerto, when the orchestra stops playing and the soloist performs alone. The soloist’s performance can be improvised or written, at the composer’s discretion.

39. Banded stone : ONYX

Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.

41. Uncle Remus title : BR’ER

Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox are characters in the Uncle Remus stories, written by Joel Chandler Harris. The Uncle Remus stories are adaptations of African American folktales that Harris collected across the Southern States. “Br’er” is an abbreviated form of “brother”.

43. Doug of the Sir Douglas Quintet with the hit “She’s About a Mover” : SAHM

Doug Sahm was a musician from Texas who founded and led the sixties rock and roll band, the Sir Douglas Quintet. Sahm was somewhat of a child prodigy. He made his radio debut at five years old, and at thirteen was offered a permanent spot at the Grand Ole Opry.

45. Op. __ : CIT

“Op. cit.” is short for “opus citatum”, Latin for “the work cited”. Op. cit. is used in footnotes to refer the reader to an earlier citation. It is similar to ibid, except that ibid refers the reader to the last citation, the one immediately above.

47. Mythological maidens : NYMPHS

In Greek and Roman mythology, nymphs were divine female spirits associated with a particular location or landform in nature.

50. Monteverdi work : OPERA

The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi was a true pioneer. His opera “L’Orfeo” was one of the first operas ever composed, and is the earliest surviving opera that is still regularly performed. The debut performance of “L’Orfeo” was in 1607.

59. Shoe insert : TREE

A shoe tree is an adjustable, foot-shaped device that is placed inside a show to preserve its shape. They are often constructed from solid wood that absorb odor and wick away moisture from the shoe’s leather.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Grooming tool : COMB
5. Put two and two together : ADD
8. Attentive to the schedule : PROMPT
14. Pentagon measure : AREA
15. Basic substance : LYE
16. Rum accompaniment? : YO-HO-HO
17. Staff symbol : BASS CLEF
19. Handled vessel : TEAPOT
20. Ease, as thirst : SLAKE
21. Cry of one whose thirst is eased : AAH!
23. Artist Magritte : RENE
24. State of mind induced by monotonous music? : SONIC BOREDOM (from “sonic boom”)
28. Sphere : ORB
31. Bring into harmony : ATTUNE
32. BBQ item with a char? : SEARED DOG (from “sea dog”)
35. Left-hand page : VERSO
40. Croatia neighbor : SERBIA
41. Toe problem : BUNION
42. The Beatles’ “All My Loving,” e.g. : OLDIE
43. Object of trout-fishing veneration? : SACRED FLY (from “sac fly”)
46. Where some nursery rhyme baking occurs : IN A PIE
48. Deceive : FOX
49. Aversion to rodeo performers? : COWBOY HATRED (from “cowboy hat”)
55. Multicolored gem : OPAL
56. Kvbrick opvs? : MMI
57. Takes a nap, say : RESTS
61. Make over : REVAMP
63. Post-WWII fear of infiltration apparently confirmed by four puzzle answers : RED SCARE
66. Get all wet : DRENCH
67. Rower : OAR
68. Was aware of : KNEW
69. Big Apple Theater District restaurant : SARDI’S
70. Cook, in a way : FRY
71. Recognizes : SEES

Down

1. Wine choices : CABS
2. Spoken : ORAL
3. Tableland : MESA
4. Revels (in), as praise : BASKS
5. The lot (of) : ALL
6. Henna, e.g. : DYE
7. In actuality : DE FACTO
8. Big name in British comedy : PYTHON
9. Beluga yield : ROE
10. United hub : O’HARE
11. Island vacation ride : MOPED
12. Amplifier switch : PHONO
13. Tribal symbol : TOTEM
18. Board boss : CEO
22. “Snug as __ … ” : A BUG
25. Uno menos uno, to Unamuno : NADA
26. “__ be a pleasure” : IT’D
27. Variety show : REVUE
28. __ buco : OSSO
29. Rod attachment : REEL
30. Homer, e.g. : BARD
33. Batter’s stat : RBI
34. Three-note refrain : E-I-E-I-O
36. Close : END
37. Jazz phrase : RIFF
38. Concerto cadenza, e.g. : SOLO
39. Banded stone : ONYX
41. Uncle Remus title : BR’ER
43. Doug of the Sir Douglas Quintet with the hit “She’s About a Mover” : SAHM
44. Two : A PAIR OF
45. Op. __ : CIT
47. Mythological maidens : NYMPHS
49. Electrical connections : CORDS
50. Monteverdi work : OPERA
51. Go back and forth : WAVER
52. Flavorless : BLAND
53. Med. treatment areas : ERS
54. Card groups : DECKS
58. Sound : SANE
59. Shoe insert : TREE
60. Follows a pattern, perhaps : SEWS

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