LA Times Crossword 28 Feb 19, Thursday

Constructed by: Bruce Haight
Edited by: Rich Norris

Today’s Theme (according to Bill): Sailor’s Reinterpretation

Themed answers are common phrases that have been reinterpreted with reference to a naval vessel:

17A. Spot to spread out a ship’s map, maybe? : BRIDGE TABLE
25A. Sailors dealing with a ship’s cargo? : HOLD HANDS
37A. Awesome things near the front of a ship? : BOW-WOWS
47A. Backwards glance on a ship? : STERN LOOK
57A. Strength measure of the ship cook’s spirits? : GALLEY PROOF

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Bill’s time: 8m 21s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Hornet and Matador : AMCS

The Hornet was a compact produced by AMC in the seventies. The Hornet platform was used in the design of the Gremlin, a smaller subcompact that was basically the front half of the Hornet with a truncated rear.

The AMC Matador was a car produced from 1971 to 1978. The mid-size automobile came to be popular with police departments. The Los Angeles Police Department was the largest user of Matador patrol cars.

5. Tech-savvy school gp. : AV CLUB

Audio-visual (AV)

11. Higher ed. test : GRE

Passing the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is usually a requirement for entry into graduate school here in the US.

16. 35-state Western org. : OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Not all of the independent states in the Americas are members. Cuba was barred from participation in the organization after a vote in 1962. Honduras had her membership suspended after the country’s 2009 coup.

17. Spot to spread out a ship’s map, maybe? : BRIDGE TABLE

That would be a table for playing bridge, the card game.

19. “The Racer’s Edge” : STP

STP is a brand name of automotive lubricants and additives. The name “STP” is an initialism standing for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.

20. “American Gods” actor McShane : IAN

Ian McShane is an English actor who is famous in his homeland (and to PBS viewers in the US) for playing the title role in “Lovejoy”. In this country he is perhaps better known for playing the conniving saloon owner on the HBO western drama “Deadwood”.

“American Gods” is a 2001 fantasy novel by English author Neil Gaiman. The book has been adapted into a TV series, with the first season airing on Starz in 2017. It’s all about gods and mythological creatures in contemporary America. Not my cup of tea, although there is a leprechaun named Mad Sweeney in the mix …

21. Shell material : NACRE

Nacre is the strong iridescent material laid down by some mollusks on the inside of their shells, and it’s also what makes up pearls. The creature lays down nacre as a defensive mechanism, protecting the soft tissue of its body from the rough surface of the outer shell. Similarly, it uses nacre to encapsulate harmful debris or a parasite that penetrates the shell, and that’s how a pearl is formed.

22. Milk by-product : WHEY

When milk curdles it separates into two parts, the solid curds and the liquid whey.

23. Yale’s Mr. Yale : ELIHU

Elihu Yale was a wealthy merchant born in Boston in 1649. Yale worked for the British East India Company, and for many years served as governor of a settlement at Madras (now Chennai) in India. After India, Yale took over his father’s estate near Wrexham in Wales. It was while resident in Wrexham that Yale responded to a request for financial support for the Collegiate School of Connecticut in 1701. He sent the school a donation, which was used to erect a new building in New Haven that was named “Yale” in his honor. In 1718, the whole school was renamed to “Yale College”. To this day, students of Yale are nicknamed “Elis”, again honoring Elihu.

32. Seedy abode : RATHOLE

We use the word “seedy” to mean “shabby”. The usage probably arose from the appearance of a flowering plant that has gone to seed.

36. Sushi choice : EEL

Anyone going to a sushi restaurant can order all types of raw fish (known collectively as “sashimi”). However, eel is always served cooked, and that’s because the blood of eels contains a protein that cramps muscles if eaten. If the heart muscle “cramps”, the result can be death. The protein is easily rendered harmless by applying heat, i.e. by cooking.

38. Sweetie, in slang : BAE

“Bae” is a contemporary term of endearment. It is a pet name that is an abbreviation of “babe, baby”, although I’ve also read that it is an acronym standing for “before anyone else”.

51. Adams who shot El Capitan : ANSEL

As an avid amateur photographer, I have been a big fan of the work of Ansel Adams for many years and must have read all of his books. Adams was famous for clarity and depth in his black and white images. Central to his technique was the use of the zone system, his own invention. The zone system is a way of controlling exposure in an image, particularly when there is a high contrast in the subject. Although the technique was developed primarily for black & white film, it can even apply to digital color images. In the digital world, the main technique is to expose an image for the highlights, and one or more images for the shadows. These images can then be combined digitally giving a final photograph with a full and satisfying range of exposures.

El Capitan is a stunning vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park in California. The top of El Capitan has been used as the take-off point for many BASE jumps, parachute jumps made by diving off the top of the rock face. The National Park Service put a stop to the practise in 1999. Soon afterwards, a BASE jumper made an illegal jump to protest the ban. She died …

52. Tiny parasites : LICE

Lice (singular “louse”) are small wingless insects of which there are thousands of species, three of which are human disease agents. The three kinds of lice affecting humans are head lice, body lice and pubic lice. Most lice feed on dead skin found on the body of the host animal, although some feed on blood. Ick …

55. __ Lanka : SRI

The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.

56. Imaginepeace.com artist : ONO

The artist Yoko Ono operates the website ImaginePeace.com. I checked it out once and found these two lovely quotes:

Imagine all the people living life in peace … John Lennon
A dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together is reality … Yoko Ono

57. Strength measure of the ship cook’s spirits? : GALLEY PROOF

Galleys are the metal trays into which a printer would arrange type to make up a page. The galleys had clamps that could be used to hold the loose type in place. Even in today’s world of electronic publishing, apparently the term “galley proof” is still used as the name for some version of a layout that is not yet final.

60. Ref’s call : TKO

In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).

61. “Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosey” girl in a 1962 #1 hit : SHEILA

“Sheila” is a 1962 song that was written and recorded by Tommy Roe. Roe composed the song using the name and title “Frita”, inspired by a student at Roe’s high school. The record’s producer requested a change of name, and Roe came up with “Sheila”. That name was inspired by Roe’s Aunt Sheila, who happened to be visiting him at the time.

The singer-songwriter Tommy Roe was known as one of the “bubblegum artists” in the late sixties. Roe’s biggest hits were “Sheila” in 1962, and “Dizzy” in 1969.

63. Sun, in Ibiza : SOL

Ibiza is a Mediterranean island located almost 100 miles off the Spanish coast. It is a very popular tourist destination, largely for its legendary nightlife.

64. Use a combine : THRESH

A combine harvester is a machine that “combines” the work that without it would take three steps, i.e. reaping, binding and threshing.

Down

4. Criterion: Abbr. : STD

Standard (std.)

7. One-named “Hollywood Squares” panelist : CHARO

Charo is an actress, comedian and flamenco guitarist from Spain. She is quite famous for her comedic catchphrase “cuchi cuchi”. Charo’s real name is … wait for it … María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romaguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten.

The popular game show “Hollywood Squares” was first aired in 1965, in glorious black and white. The list of celebrities who regularly appeared on the show over the years includes Rich Little, Roddy McDowell, Florence Henderson, Buddy Hackett, Barbara Eden, Vincent Price, Jonathan Winters and Joan Rivers.

8. Defamation in print : LIBEL

The word “libel”, meaning a published or written statement likely to harm a person’s reputation, comes into English from the Latin “libellus”, the word for a small book. Back in the 1500s, libel was just a formal written statement, with the more damaging association arising in the 1600s. The related concept of slander is defamation in a transient form, such as speech, sign language or gestures.

9. Web address : URL

An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a Uniform Resource Locators (URL).

10. Spelling event : BEE

Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a quilting bee, or even a spelling bee.

12. Not for kids : RATED R

The Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film-rating system (PG-13, R, etc.) is purely voluntary and is not backed by any law. Movie theaters agree to abide by the rules that come with the MPAA ratings in exchange for access to new movies.

13. 2018 awards event hosted by Danica Patrick : ESPYS

The ESPY Awards are a creation of the ESPN sports television network. One difference with similarly named awards in the entertainment industry is that ESPY winners are chosen solely based on viewer votes.

Danica Patrick is a very successful, retired auto racing driver. She won the 2008 Indy Japan 300, making her the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race. Patrick also finished third in the 2009 Indy 500, the highest finish for a woman in that race.

18. African herd : GNUS

The gnu is also known as the wildebeest, and is an antelope native to Africa. “Wildebeest” is a Dutch meaning “wild beast”.

22. GPS navigation app : WAZE

Waze is a navigation app that is similar to Google Maps and Apple Maps. Waze was developed in Israel, and was acquired by Google in 2013.

24. QE2 designation : HER

Cunard’s ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was launched in 1967. The QE2 was taken out of service in 2008 and purchased by investment firm which is converting the vessel into a floating hotel that will be moored in Dubai.

27. Dutch artist Frans : HALS

Frans Hals was a painter from the Dutch Golden Age who was born in Antwerp but who lived and worked in Haarlem. Hals is best known for his portraits, the most famous of which is probably “The Laughing Cavalier”.

34. With 42-Down, like some bobsleds : TWO-
(42D. See 34-Down : MAN)

Bobsleds are so called because competitors in the sport originally would “bob” in and out of the sled in order to increase its speed.

35. Harley Davidson’s NYSE symbol : HOG

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle company was founded in the very early 1900s by two childhood friends, William Harley and Arthur Davidson, . Their first design was in effect an engine hooked up to a pedal bicycle, but the 116 cc cylinder capacity simply couldn’t generate enough power to get up the hills of their native city of Milwaukee. The pair came up with a redesigned model that had a cylinder capacity of 405 cc, which the partners built in a shed at the back of Davidson’s house. In 1906, the partners built their first factory, located where the company’s headquarters is to this day, on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Famously, Harley motorcycles are nicknamed “hogs”.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) can give some quite descriptive ticker symbols to companies, for example:

Anheuser-Busch (BUD, for “Budweiser”)
Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP, as in “beer tap”)
Steinway Musical Instruments (LVB, for “Ludwig van Beethoven”)
Sotheby’s (BID, for the auction house)

43. Hammered : STINKO

Hammered, stinko, drunk.

44. “No hard feelings, dude” : WE COOL

Our term “dude” arose as slang in New York City in the 1880s, when it was used to describe a fastidious man. In the early 1900s, the term was extended to mean “city slickers”, easterners who vacationed in the West. The first use of the term “dude ranch” was recorded in 1921.

47. Vegas attraction : SLOTS

The stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard on which most of the big casinos are concentrated is referred to as the “Las Vegas Strip”. The Strip was named for LA’s Sunset Strip by former Los Angeles law enforcement officer Guy McAfee. McAfee was a notoriously corrupt head of the LAPD vice squad in 1920s and 1930s who ran several brothels and gambling saloons. McAfee moved to Las Vegas in 1939 where he opened several casinos, including the Golden Nugget.

49. Stan’s slapstick pal : OLLIE

Oliver Hardy was born Norvell Hardy in 1892 in Harlem, Georgia. Hardy used the stage name “Oliver” as a tribute to his father Oliver Hardy. His early performances were credited as “Oliver Norvell Hardy”, and off camera his nickname was “Babe Hardy”. Hardy appeared in several films that also featured the young British actor Stan Laurel, but it wasn’t until 1927 that they teamed up to make perhaps the most famous double act in the history of movies. The Laurel and Hardy act came to an end in 1955. That year, Laurel suffered a stroke, and then later the same year Hardy had a heart attack and stroke from which he never really recovered.

Stan Laurel was an English comic actor (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson), who made a great career for himself in Hollywood. Laurel ended up at the Hal Roach studio directing films, intent on pursuing a career in writing and directing. However, he was a sometime actor and was asked to step in when another comic actor, Oliver Hardy, was injured and couldn’t perform. Laurel and Hardy started to share a stage together during that time and when it was clear they worked so well together, their partnership was born. Oh, and the oft-quoted story that Clint Eastwood is the son of Stan Laurel … that’s just an urban myth.

57. Setting at 0 degrees long. : GST

Greenwich Sidereal Time (GST)

Astronomers use sidereal time to know where to locate given stars in the night sky. Sidereal time is a time scale that takes into account the Earth’s rotation relative to stars with a fixed location in the night sky.

59. West Coast athlete : RAM

The Los Angeles Rams are the only franchise to have won NFL championships in three different cities, i.e. Cleveland (1945), Los Angeles (1951) and St. Louis (1999). The Rams were based in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945, in Los Angeles from 1946 to 1994, in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015, and returned to Los Angeles in 2016.

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Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Hornet and Matador : AMCS
5. Tech-savvy school gp. : AV CLUB
11. Higher ed. test : GRE
14. Fail to save one’s skin? : MOLT
15. Bring back to the firm : REHIRE
16. 35-state Western org. : OAS
17. Spot to spread out a ship’s map, maybe? : BRIDGE TABLE
19. “The Racer’s Edge” : STP
20. “American Gods” actor McShane : IAN
21. Shell material : NACRE
22. Milk by-product : WHEY
23. Yale’s Mr. Yale : ELIHU
25. Sailors dealing with a ship’s cargo? : HOLD HANDS
28. Most warm : NICEST
30. Barbershop staple : RAZOR
31. Industry mogul : CZAR
32. Seedy abode : RATHOLE
36. Sushi choice : EEL
37. Awesome things near the front of a ship? : BOW-WOWS
38. Sweetie, in slang : BAE
41. Snore : SAW LOGS
42. Numerous : MANY
43. Gave one’s word : SWORE
45. Often recyclable tech products : E-WASTE
47. Backwards glance on a ship? : STERN LOOK
51. Adams who shot El Capitan : ANSEL
52. Tiny parasites : LICE
53. Secluded valleys : GLENS
55. __ Lanka : SRI
56. Imaginepeace.com artist : ONO
57. Strength measure of the ship cook’s spirits? : GALLEY PROOF
60. Ref’s ruling : TKO
61. “Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosey” girl in a 1962 #1 hit : SHEILA
62. Like crazy : A LOT
63. Sun, in Ibiza : SOL
64. Use a combine : THRESH
65. Soccer followers? : … MOMS

Down

1. Restaurant review factor : AMBIENCE
2. Get all preachy : MORALIZE
3. Kind of psychology : CLINICAL
4. Criterion: Abbr. : STD
5. Neighborhood : AREA
6. Climbing plant : VETCH
7. One-named “Hollywood Squares” panelist : CHARO
8. Defamation in print : LIBEL
9. Web address : URL
10. Spelling event : BEE
11. “Jeepers, I wouldn’t think of it!” : GOSH, NO!
12. Not for kids : RATED R
13. 2018 awards event hosted by Danica Patrick : ESPYS
18. African herd : GNUS
22. GPS navigation app : WAZE
24. QE2 designation : HER
26. Drift off : DROWSE
27. Dutch artist Frans : HALS
29. Gardening tool : TROWEL
33. Punching tool : AWL
34. With 42-Down, like some bobsleds : TWO-
35. Harley Davidson’s NYSE symbol : HOG
37. Stable environment? : BARN
38. Jazz improv highlight : BASS SOLO
39. Waiting area : ANTEROOM
40. Some cosmetic procedures : EYELIFTS
41. Hot under the collar : SORE
42. See 34-Down : MAN
43. Hammered : STINKO
44. “No hard feelings, dude” : WE COOL
46. Winged stinger : WASP
47. Vegas attraction : SLOTS
48. Rubberneck : OGLER
49. Stan’s slapstick pal : OLLIE
50. Naval bases? : KEELS
54. Gloating word usually repeated : NYAH
57. Setting at 0 degrees long. : GST
58. “This is so relaxing!” : AHH!
59. West Coast athlete : RAM

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