Thursday’s crossword by: Mark Bickham and edited by Rich Norris
Welcome to the answers to the Thursday November 14th 2013 LA Times crossword puzzle! Okay it’s back to school we go. If you’re a crossword lover you’re probably good at English so today’s theme will be a breeze. We have all of the vowel sounds, plus a bonus ‘y’ sound, coming out in the answers except for the ‘A’s’ as given away by 53 Down. The themed answers are: Ease The Pain, Eyes Front, Owes Back Taxes, Use As Bait and Wise As An Owl.
Across Answers
1. Moll’s leg GAM
A moll, or molly, is a gangster’s “girl.”
“Gams” is another term for a woman’s legs.
4. Word after fire or power DRILL
9. Like some wedding dresses LACY
13. Biblical priest who trained Samuel ELI
Samuel, in the book of the New Testament, was the one who annointed the 1st 2 kings of Israel, Saul and David. Eli was the High Priest of Shiloh, and the one who trained Samuel to be a good leader.
14. Zellweger et al. RENEES
Renee Zellweger, one of the most beautiful and talented Hollywood stars of today, is fluent in German. She received her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in May 2005.
16. Together, in music A DUE
“A due” is an Italian phrase which is used as a musical term which means “together.”
17. Architect’s add-on ELL
18. *Make it not hurt so much EASE THE PAIN
Perfect for the heartbroken, don’t you think?
20. Tre times due SEI
Tre (3) times due (2) is equal to Sei (6) in Italian.
21. Bark relative YIP
22. IHOP array SYRUPS
Yum!
23. *Marching order EYES FRONT!
26. Type of cranial nerve OPTIC
The optic nerve is the one responsible for transmitting the visual information coming from the retina straight to the brain.
28. Role for John Cho in “Star Trek” SULU
John Cho played the role of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. He also starred in the remake of Total Recall. Perhaps, you would also remember him from American Pie, who was the guy who popularized the term “MILF.” Don’t ask me what it means.
29. Jets and others TEAMS
31. __ nutshell IN A
In a nutshell means “in summary” or “in the fewest possible words.”
32. Mex. neighbor USA
Travelling from Mexico to the US would only take about less than twenty minutes.
34. Motor extension? -OLA
Motorola was founded in 1928 and was one of the strongest multinational telecommunications companies in the US. However, it lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to ’09, which is why the company is now divided into 2 independent public companies: Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility.
35. At any time EVER
36. *Has unfinished business with the IRS OWES BACK TAXES
40. Spot on the tube TV AD
41. Good buddy BRO
42. Play about Capote TRU
Truman Capote was a famous author whose literary works were considered to be classics. He wrote Breakfast At Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood. He died of liver cancer in August 1984. He was 59 years old.
43. Ran across MET
44. Film critic Jeffrey LYONS
Jeffrey Lyons was the theater and film critic of WNBC-TV (New York) from 1992-93, & 1996 up to the present.
46. Long haul TREK
49. __ de Chine: light fabric CREPE
Crepe de Chine is a fine and light plainwoven fabric made with silk.
51. *Entice with USE AS BAIT
54. Eggheads BRAINS
56. Govt. surveillance group NSA
NSA stands for National Security Agency, formed in 1952.
57. PTA meeting site SCH
The school is where Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings are held.
58. *Sagacious WISE AS AN OWL
Sagacious means “wise,” or “knowledgeable.”
60. __ out: barely make EKE
61. Aleutian island ATKA
Atka is located in Alaska. Its population as of the 2010 census is 61.
62. Faunae counterparts FLORAE
Flora is the native plant life of a given region. Fauna is the term for animal life.
63. Grassy area LEA
Lea, be definition, is an open grassy area.
64. Harness part REIN
65. Yeats’ “The Wild __ at Coole” SWANS
The Wild Swans At Coole is the collection of poetry written by WB Yeats. There are 2 collections, published in 1917 and 1919.
66. Many AARP The Magazine readers: Abbr. SRS
AARP stands for the American Association of Retired Persons, which is an organization for Senior citizens.
Down Answers
1. Silly sorts GEESE
2. Strike zones? ALLEYS
3. Social setting MILIEU
Milieu is a French word that means “middle,” but in the English language, it is being used as another term for “setting” or “environment.”
4. Mr. Holland portrayer DREYFUSS
Richard Dreyfuss was ranked number 81 in the 1997 Empire Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.
5. Put on again RE-AIR
6. Hip joint IN SPOT
7. Author Harper LEE
Nelle Harper Lee won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for her novel “To Kill A MockingBird.” The novel deals about racism, which she was able to witness as a child while growing up in Alabama. This is Ms. Lee’s only book.
8. Conversation opener LETS TALK
9. Drink à la Fido LAP UP
10. Capable of change ADAPTIVE
11. Cookbook categories CUISINES
12. Nikkei Index currency YEN
15. Lacking the required funds SHY
19. Winged god EROS
Eros is the Greek god of Love. (Roman counterpart: Cupid). Eros is the son of Aphrodite, though in some myths, he is a primordial god.
24. Turned around SLUED
25. Opponents of the ’60s-’70s New Left NEOCONS
Neoconservatism is a movement that supports the US military to bring liberty, democracy, human rights, and equality to different countries.
27. Golf, for one CAR
30. Simpsons creator Groening MATT
Matt Groening was also the creator of Futurama which ran from 1999 to 2003, and then again in 2008 to 2013.
33. “Eight Is Enough” wife ABBY
Eight is Enough ran from 1977 to 1981. It is a comedy drama TV series that was adapted from Thomas Braden’s book that had the same name. Thomans Braden is the father of eight children.
35. Bedroom community EXURB
The “Exurb” is an area inhabited by the more wealthy people, usually beyond the suburbs.
36. Orthodontic concern OVERBITE
When the lower jaw is too far behind the upper jaw, that is what you call an overbite, a condition wherein the teeth are misaligned.
37. Ride the wake, say WATER-SKI
38. Awakenings AROUSALS
39. Some auction transactions ART SALES
40. “Movies for movie lovers” network TMC
TMC stands for The Movie Channel
44. “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?” speaker LEIA
Princess Leia is a fictional character, and one of the main protagonists in the Star Wars Universe. She is Luke Skywalker’s twin sister.
45. Isabel Allende title SENORA
Isabel Allende, a writer from Chile, became famous for her magi realist novels such as City of the Beasts and The House Of The Spirits.
47. Stands for things EASELS
48. Any of the top 25 NFL career scoring leaders KICKER
50. Song of praise PAEAN
52. Egyptian dam ASWAN
The Aswan Dam is in the city of Aswan, across the Nile River. It began construction in 1960. and opened in 1970. It was built to control floods that happened every year, especially during the late summer. It is also being used for irrigation and generation of hydroelectricity.
53. MLB team, familiarly (and what’s missing from the sequence found in the answers to starred clues?) THE AS
The Oakland Athletics was founded in 1901, originally as the Philadelphia Athletics. Before moving to Oakland in 1968, they also became the Kansas City Athletics in the year of ’55.
55. Bad check letters NSF
NSF stands for Not sufficient funds
58. Card game for two, usually WAR
59. “What are you waiting for?!” NOW!
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