LA Times Crossword 21 Jan 19, Monday

Advertisement

Constructed by: Kurt Krauss
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Slogans

Themed answers are slogans associated with entities named in the clue:

  • 17A. “Am I coming in loud and clear?” (Verizon) : CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
  • 28A. “Waiter, isn’t my steak ready yet?” (Wendy’s) : WHERE’S THE BEEF?
  • 47A. “Don’t settle when it comes to personal potential” (U.S. Army) : BE ALL YOU CAN BE
  • 63A. “No fakes here” (Coca-Cola) : IT’S THE REAL THING

Bill’s time: 4m 21s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Broadway auntie : MAME

The musical “Mame” opened on Broadway in 1966, with Angela Lansbury in the title role. The musical is based on the 1955 novel “Auntie Mame” written by Patrick Dennis.

5. Sean Connery, for one : SCOT

Sean Connery is most famous for playing the original James Bond in the successful series of movies. Back in his native Scotland, Connery is very active in politics and is a member of the Scottish Nationalist Party. He actively campaigns for Scottish independence from Britain and has stated that he believes Scotland will achieve that goal within his own lifetime. Whether that happens or not is the subject of much speculation …

9. Strong winds : GALES

A gale is a very strong wind, a wind that is defined by Beaufort wind scale as a wind with speeds from 50 to just over 100 kilometers per hour.

15. Any volume of Hume’s “The History of England,” e.g. : TOME

“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century, “tome” had come to mean “large book”.

David Hume was a philosopher and historian from Scotland. One of his greatest works is the massive “The History of England”, which was published in six volumes from 1754 to 1762. The massive tome covers the nation’s history from the Roman conquest of Britain led by Julius Caesar in 55 BCE, up to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 that removed King James II from the throne and replaced him with William III and Mary II.

16. Banded marble : AGATE

Agate is a micro-crystalline form of quartz (so is related to sand/silica). Some agate samples have deposited layers that give a striped appearance, and these are called “banded agate”.

17. “Am I coming in loud and clear?” (Verizon) : CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Actor Paul Marcarelli played Verizon’s Test Man in commercial spots starting in 2002 (he was the “Can you hear me now?” guy). Verizon dropped the character in 2011. In 2016, Sprint hired Marcarelli as a spokesperson referring to his switch from Verizon to Sprint.

The telecommunications company that we know today as Verizon was founded in 1983 as Bell Atlantic, and was one of the “Baby Bells” that were formed after the breakup of AT&T. Bell Atlantic merged with fellow Baby Bell NYNEX in 1997, and then merged with GTE in 2000 to form Verizon. The new company name is a portmanteau of “veritas” (“truth” in Latin) and “horizon”.

20. Boutros-Ghali’s successor : ANNAN

Kofi Annan is a diplomat from Ghana who served as General Secretary of the UN for ten years until the beginning of 2007. Annan was born into an aristocratic family, and had a twin sister named Efua Atta. Efua and Kofi shared the middle name “Atta”, which means “twin” in the Akan language of Ghana. Annan attended the MIT Sloan School of Management from 1971-72, and graduated with a Master of Science degree.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian diplomat, and the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Boutros-Ghali was nominated for a second term as Secretary-General in 1996, but the US used its right of veto to block the appointment. According to senior delegates, the US wasn’t too happy with his handling of the international crisis in Bosnia.

22. USCG officer : ENS

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has the distinction of being the country’s oldest continuous seagoing service. The USCG was founded as the Revenue Cutter Service by Alexander Hamilton in 1790.

23. __ Tomé and Príncipe : SAO

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation off the west coast of Africa comprising mainly two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe. São Tomé and Príncipe is located in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Gabon. It was colonized by Portugal after POrtuguese explorers discovered the islands in the 15th century. After gaining independence in 1975, São Tomé and Príncipe is now the smallest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.

24. Round Table title : SIR

King Arthur (and his Round Table) probably never really existed, but his legend is very persistent. Arthur was supposedly a leader of the Romano-British as they tried to resist the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

26. Bluesy James : ETTA

“Etta James” was the stage name of celebrated blues and soul singer Jamesetta Hawkins. James’ most famous recording was her 1960 hit “At Last”, which made it into the pop charts. James performed “At Last” at the age of 71 in 2009 on the reality show “Dancing with the Stars”, which was to be her final television appearance. She passed away in 2012.

28. “Waiter, isn’t my steak ready yet?” (Wendy’s) : WHERE’S THE BEEF?

“Where’s the Beef?” was a slogan used by the Wendy’s fast food chain in 1984. The actress most associated with the phrase was Clara Peller, who appeared in 1984 Wendy’s advertising campaign when she was 81 years of age. Famously, the phrase “Where’s the Beef?” was picked up by presidential candidate Walter Mondale during the 1984 presidential campaign when he used it to argue that his rival Gary Hart had policies that lacked substance.

34. The Vols’ sch. : UTENN

The University of Tennessee (UT, UTenn) is a public school in Knoxville that was founded in 1794. UT is home to the collections of three sets of presidential papers; those of Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson, all of whom hailed from Tennessee. UT has three primary campuses, in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin.

The Tennessee Volunteers (the Vols) is the name given to the men’s sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The women’s teams are called the Lady Volunteers.

35. Astronomical red giant : S STAR

Red giants are very large stars with a relatively low mass. The atmosphere of a red giant is also very inflated and extends a long way into space so the surface of that atmosphere that we see is relatively cool, which gives it a red color. Stars are classified by their spectral characteristics, basically the color of the light they emit. As such, red giants are classified as M stars. Cool red giants are of a color beyond the usual range, and are classified as S stars.

36. “The Wizard __”: comic strip : OF ID

“The Wizard of Id” is one of my favorite comic strips. The strip was created by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart back in 1964. The storyline centers on a wizard in the medieval kingdom of Id. The king of Id refers to his subjects as “Idiots”.

42. Like Cheerios : OATY

Cheerios breakfast cereal has the distinction of being the first oat-based cereal introduced into the market, hitting the grocery store shelves in 1941. Back then, Cheerios were known as CheeriOats.

43. Sonata movement : RONDO

A rondo was often chosen by composers in the classical period for the last movement of a sonata (or symphony or concerto, for that matter). In rondo form there is a principal theme that alternates with a contrasting theme(s). So, the original theme anchors the whole piece in between secondary digressions.

45. Flu symptom : FEVER

Influenza (the “flu”) is an ailment that is caused by a virus. The virus is readily inactivated by the use of soap, so washing hands and surfaces is especially helpful in containing flu outbreaks.

47. “Don’t settle when it comes to personal potential” (U.S. Army) : BE ALL YOU CAN BE

“Army Strong” replaced “Army of One” as the current recruiting slogan used for the US Army in 2006. Prior to that, “Be All You Can Be” was the army’s slogan for more than twenty years.

51. Cylindrical cheese : EDAM

Edam cheese takes its name from the Dutch town of Edam in North Holland. The cheese is famous for its coating of red paraffin wax, a layer of protection that helps Edam travel well and prevents spoiling. You might occasionally come across an Edam cheese that is coated in black wax. The black color indicates that the underlying cheese has been aged for a minimum of 17 weeks.

52. Genetic “messenger” initials : RNA

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

53. “Morning Edition” airer : NPR

National Public Radio (now just “NPR”) was launched in 1970 after President Johnson signed into law the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The intent of the act was to provide funding for radio and television broadcasting that wasn’t simply driven by profit. As a longtime fan of the state-funded BBC in the UK, I’d have to agree with act’s intent …

NPR’s flagship news program is “Morning Edition”, a 2-hour show broadcast from Monday through Friday. The sister show “Weekend Edition” is broadcast on Saturday and Sunday.

56. Letter before omega : PSI

Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

59. Largest Greek island : CRETE

Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands. Crete figures heavily in Greek mythology. Zeus was born in a cave at Mount Ida, the highest peak on the island. Crete was also home to the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. Icarus and Daedalus, after having crafted the Labyrinth, escaped from the island using wings that they crafted.

61. Drink served with marshmallows : COCOA

The beverages hot cocoa and hot chocolate differ from each other in that the latter contains cocoa butter, whereas the former does not.

63. “No fakes here” (Coca-Cola) : IT’S THE REAL THING

Coca-Cola has used many advertising slogans over the life of the brand, including:

  • The Great National Temperance Beverage (1906)
  • Where There’s Coke There’s Hospitality (1948)
  • It’s the Real Thing (1971)
  • Catch the Wave (1986, for “new Coke”)
  • Red, White & You (1986, for “Coke Classic”)

66. Shire of “Rocky” : TALIA

The actress Talia Shire is best-known for playing Rocky’s wife Adrian in the “Rocky” series of movies. She also played Connie, the daughter of Don Corleone, in “The Godfather” films. Shire is the sister of movie director Francis Ford Coppola and the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage. Her son is the actor Jason Schwartzman.

67. London art gallery : TATE

The museum known as “the Tate” is actually made up of four separate galleries in England. The original Tate gallery was founded by Sir Henry Tate as the National Gallery of British Art. It is located on Millbank in London, on the site of the old Millbank Prison, and is now called Tate Britain. There is also the Tate Liverpool in the north of England located in an old warehouse, and the Tate St. Ives in the west country located in an old gas works. My favorite of the Tate galleries is the Tate Modern which lies on the banks of the Thames in London. It’s a beautiful building, a converted power station that you have to see to believe.

70. Flock’s “Absolutely!” : AMEN!

The word “amen” translates as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is also likely to be influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

Down

1. Layered minerals : MICAS

Mica is a silicate mineral. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes’ in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

2. Appliance brand : AMANA

The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa. Today, the Amana name is very much associated with household appliances. The company was founded in 1934 to manufacture commercial walk-in coolers.

3. Bait fish : MINNOW

Minnow are small fish that are often used as bait when fishing. The term “minnow” is also used figuratively to for someone who is comparatively insignificant or perhaps small in stature.

4. One-named New Age singer : ENYA

Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career, eventually becoming Ireland’s best-selling solo musician. And, she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

New-Age music is created to provide a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere. The New Age movement is often said to have begun with the release of an album called “Spectrum Suite” by Steven Halpern in 1975.

9. Reproductive cells : GAMETES

A gamete is a reproductive cell that has half the full complement of genes needed to make a normal cell. In sexual reproduction, it takes two gametes, one from each parent, to fuse into one cell which then develops into a new organism. The female gamete is the ovum, and the male the sperm.

10. 242, for the USA : AGE

The Thirteen British Colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776, and adopted the name “United States”. The first US government was established in 1777 when the Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Second Continental Congress. The Articles of Confederation came into full force in 1781 after being ratified by all thirteen states. Britain finally recognized US independence in 1781 after suffering defeat at Yorktown during the War of Independence.

12. Berkshire school : ETON

Eton College near Windsor in the south of England was founded way back in 1440 by King Henry VI. Originally known as “The King’s College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor”, the school was intended to provided free education to poor boys. Free education today at Eton? Not so much …

Berkshire is a county in England that is referred to as one of the “home counties”. The home counties are those that surround the city of London, outside of London itself. “Home county” is not an official designation but has been in popular use since the 1800s. The list of home counties usually comprises Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

18. Initial stage, as of the flu : ONSET

Influenza (the “flu”) is an ailment that is caused by a virus. The virus is readily inactivated by the use of soap, so washing hands and surfaces is especially helpful in containing flu outbreaks.

19. Baseball’s Babe : RUTH

Jack Dunn was the owner/manager of the Baltimore Orioles back in 1913, when he signed on George Herman Ruth as a pitcher. The other players called Ruth “Jack’s newest babe”, and the name “Babe” stuck.

30. Big mess : SNAFU

SNAFU is an acronym standing for “situation normal: all fouled up” (well, that’s the polite version!). As one might perhaps imagine, the term developed in the US Army, during WWII.

31. In-flight approx. : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

37. Them, vis-à-vis us : FOE

We can use the French phrase “vis-à-vis” as a preposition meaning “compared with”. When used as an adverb or adjective, it means “face-to-face”, which is a more literal translation from French.

41. “Dear __ Hansen”: 2017 Best Musical : EVAN

“Dear Evan Hansen” is a 2015 stage musical about a young man with awkward social skills and his efforts to make friends.

44. British buddy : OLD CHAP

“Chap” is an informal term meaning “lad, fellow” that is used especially in England. The term derives from “chapman”, an obsolete word meaning “purchaser” or “trader”.

48. Easily maneuvered, at sea : YARE

I always think that the word “yare” is such a romantic one. In the nautical world, the term applies to a vessel that responds easily to the helm.

49. Mafioso code of honor : OMERTA

“Omertà” is a code of honor in southern Italian society. The term has been adopted by the Mafia to mean a code of silence designed to prevent a Mafioso from becoming an informer. For example, the famous Joe Valachi was someone who broke the code of silence in 1963, informing on the New York Mafia. Valachi’s story was told in the movie “The Valachi Papers”, with Charles Bronson playing the lead.

A Mafioso is a member of the Mafia, with the plural being Mafiosi (or sometimes “Mafiosos”).

50. Affluent Los Angeles district : ENCINO

Encino is a district in the City of Los Angeles on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains. The area takes its name from a historic parcel of land called Rancho Los Encinos (Ranch of the Evergreens).

54. Explorer __ de León : PONCE

Juan Ponce de León was a famous Spanish explorer and conquistador. Ponce de León led the Europeans to Florida, and it was he who gave the state its name (Spanish for “Flowery Land”). He was injured on his last voyage to Florida, supposedly by a poisoned arrow, and died from his wound in Havana, Cuba.

57. MD’s “Now!” : STAT!

The exact etymology of “stat”, a term meaning “immediately” in the medical profession, seems to have been lost in the mists of time. It probably comes from the Latin “statim” meaning “to a standstill, immediately”. A blog reader has helpfully suggested that the term may also come from the world of laboratory analysis, where the acronym STAT stands for “short turn-around time”.

58. “Cast Away” setting : ISLE

“Cast Away” is a very entertaining adventure film released in 2000 starring Tom Hanks as a castaway on a South Pacific island. The Hanks character ends up on the island after a FedEx plane crashes, leaving him marooned there for four years before he manages to escape on a raft. The film had to be filmed in two sessions. For the first session, Hanks gained 50 pounds to make himself look pudgy for the early scenes. The crew had to wait a whole year for Hanks to lose the weight so that they could film the “cast away” scenes.

60. Angels or Saints : TEAM

The Anaheim Angels baseball team are today more correctly called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (LAA). The “Angels” name dates back to 1961 when the team was founded in the “City of Angels”, Los Angeles. When the franchise moved to Anaheim in 1965 they were known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels, and most recently the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim. The Angels are also known as “the Halos”.

The New Orleans Saints football team takes its name from the jazz song “When the Saints Go Marching In”, a tune that is very much associated with the city. The team was founded in 1967, on November 1st, which is All Saints’ Day in the Roman Catholic tradition.

65. Actor Cariou : LEN

Len Cariou is a Canadian actor who is famous for his Broadway portrayal of “Sweeney Todd”. I most recognize Cariou from supporting roles in “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Thirteen Days”, two great movies.

Advertisement

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Broadway auntie : MAME
5. Sean Connery, for one : SCOT
9. Strong winds : GALES
14. Words while calling a bet : I’M IN
15. Any volume of Hume’s “The History of England,” e.g. : TOME
16. Banded marble : AGATE
17. “Am I coming in loud and clear?” (Verizon) : CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
20. Boutros-Ghali’s successor : ANNAN
21. Happen as a result : ENSUE
22. USCG officer : ENS
23. __ Tomé and Príncipe : SAO
24. Round Table title : SIR
26. Bluesy James : ETTA
28. “Waiter, isn’t my steak ready yet?” (Wendy’s) : WHERE’S THE BEEF?
34. The Vols’ sch. : UTENN
35. Astronomical red giant : S STAR
36. “The Wizard __”: comic strip : OF ID
39. Gawk : STARE
42. Like Cheerios : OATY
43. Sonata movement : RONDO
45. Flu symptom : FEVER
47. “Don’t settle when it comes to personal potential” (U.S. Army) : BE ALL YOU CAN BE
51. Cylindrical cheese : EDAM
52. Genetic “messenger” initials : RNA
53. “Morning Edition” airer : NPR
56. Letter before omega : PSI
59. Largest Greek island : CRETE
61. Drink served with marshmallows : COCOA
63. “No fakes here” (Coca-Cola) : IT’S THE REAL THING
66. Shire of “Rocky” : TALIA
67. London art gallery : TATE
68. A single time : ONCE
69. Precipitous : STEEP
70. Flock’s “Absolutely!” : AMEN!
71. Garden scrapers : HOES

Down

1. Layered minerals : MICAS
2. Appliance brand : AMANA
3. Bait fish : MINNOW
4. One-named New Age singer : ENYA
5. Consecutive alphabet trio that spells a name : STU
6. Easy to understand : COHERENT
7. Black cat, to some : OMEN
8. It includes cups, a pot and a sugar bowl : TEA SET
9. Reproductive cells : GAMETES
10. 242, for the USA : AGE
11. Narrow street : LANE
12. Berkshire school : ETON
13. Puts in stitches : SEWS
18. Initial stage, as of the flu : ONSET
19. Baseball’s Babe : RUTH
25. More than annoys : IRES
27. Soak up : ABSORB
29. Gathering around the quarterback : HUDDLE
30. Big mess : SNAFU
31. In-flight approx. : ETA
32. “Dig in!” : EAT!
33. Cook in oil : FRY
36. Heavenly body : ORB
37. Them, vis-à-vis us : FOE
38. Once-lifetime link : IN A
40. Make over : RECREATE
41. “Dear __ Hansen”: 2017 Best Musical : EVAN
44. British buddy : OLD CHAP
46. Legislate : ENACT
48. Easily maneuvered, at sea : YARE
49. Mafioso code of honor : OMERTA
50. Affluent Los Angeles district : ENCINO
54. Explorer __ de León : PONCE
55. Fits of anger : RAGES
56. Indy service areas : PITS
57. MD’s “Now!” : STAT!
58. “Cast Away” setting : ISLE
60. Angels or Saints : TEAM
62. “Oops!” : OH-OH!
64. Game with no winner : TIE
65. Actor Cariou : LEN

Advertisement