Quicklinks:
The full solution to today’s crossword that appears in the New York Times
The full solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword that appears in all other publications
THEME: Location, Location, Location … all the groups of circled letters make up the answer to another answer within the puzzle e.g. 22S: DRESSING ON THE SIDE (see MAYO on the left side of the grid?), 57A: ROOM AT THE TOP (see DEN at the top of the grid?)
COMPLETION TIME: 27m 32s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Across
1. When repeated, a resort near the Black Forest : BADEN
Bad is the German word for “bath”, and is found in the names of may spa towns such as Bad Ems, Bad Nauheim and Baden-Baden.
Baden-Baden is located in the southwest of German in the Black Forest, very close to the border with France. The springs of Baden-Baden were greatly prized by the Ancient Romans, and there is a less than credible story that the town was founded by the emperor Hadrian. The spa became very popular with the aristocracy in the 1800s when visitors included Queen Victoria, as well as the composers Berlioz and Brahms, and the writer Dostoevsky. The town’s reputation earned it the nickname of the “European Summer Capital”. The town was originally called just Baden in the Middle Ages, and the name was officially changed to Baden-Baden in 1931, short for “the town of Baden in the state of Baden”.
The word “caboose
18. In ___ (unborn) : UTERO
In utero: still in the uterus.
19. Homeric hero : AENEAS
The Aeneid is Virgil’s epic poem that tells of the journey of Aeneas, a Trojan that voyaged to Italy to become the ancestor of all Romans.
20. Part of Q.E.D. : ERAT
Q.E.D. is used at the end of a mathematical proof (or a philosophical argument). The acronym stands for the Latin “quod erat demonstrandum” meaning “that which was to be demonstrated”.
Ole Miss is the nickname for the University of Mississippi. The name “Ole Miss” dates back to 1897, the first year a student yearbook was published. The graduating class held a competition to name the yearbook, and “Ole Miss” emerged as the winner. The name stuck to the yearbook, and also to the school itself.
22. Specification in a salad order : DRESSING ON THE SIDE
And if you look at the southwest SIDE of the grid, will see MAYO … DRESSING ON THE SIDE.
The rims of a pair of eyeglasses are the round pieces at either side of the bridge into which the lenses are placed (as in “horn-rimmed glasses”).
27. Certifies, in a way : NOTARIZES
A notary public is a public officer licensed to perform specific legal actions in non-contentious legal matters. The main duties are to administer oaths, take affidavits and witness the execution of documents.
28. U.S.M.C. barracks boss : NCO
Non-Commissioned Officer.
29. XXX : CHIS
Chi is the 22nd letter in the Greek alphabet. The Greek letter chi is written as “X”, although the sound is more like a “j”.
Epos is the Greek word for a story or a poem. We have absorbed it into English as “epic”, describing a long, narrative poetic work describing heroic deeds and ventures.
Homer was a famous poet of Ancient Greece, believed to be the author of the two classic epic poems, the “Iliad” and the “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.
34. Unit in measuring population density : SQUARE MILE
And if you look in the extreme northeast of the grid you’ll see the letters M-I-L-E arranged in a SQUARE … SQUARE MILE.
40. As a friend, to the French : EN AMI
“En ami” is the French for “in friendship”.
42. Relative of Manx : ERSE
There are actually three Erse tongues. Irish, Manx (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scottish Gaelic. In their own languages, these would be Gaeilge (in Ireland), Gaelg (on the Isle of Man) and Gaidhlig (in Scotland).
Michael Eisner
46. Some stakes : ANTES
You need to “ante up” if you want to play (poker, say).
48. Dreadful feeling : ANGST
Angst: a feeling of dread.
57. Opening for an aspiring leader : ROOM AT THE TOP
And if you look at the TOP of the grid, in the northwest corner, you’ll see the word DEN … a ROOM AT THE TOP.
62. Zing : ELAN
Elan: ardor inspired by passion or enthusiasm. I guess that could be “zing”.
New Yorker Lionel Trilling
65. Hit computer game with the original working title Micropolis : SIMCITY
“SimCity” is a very clever computer game, in which players build and grow cities and societies by creating the conditions necessary for people (the Sims) to move in and thrive. “SimCity” first came out in 1989, and to this day is consistently ranked as one of the greatest computer games of all time.
The great Hank Aaron
70. President who said “I’m an idealist without illusions” : KENNEDY
I couldn’t find the context of this quote by President Kennedy, but I do know it came from the era when Ted Sorensen served as his speech writer and policy advisor.
75. Diagonals : SLANTED LINES
And if you look in the far west of the grid you’ll see the circled letter L-I-N-E-S in a diagonal … SLANTED LINES.
79. “Mazel ___!” : TOV
Mazel tov is the Yiddish term for “good luck!”. I believe that mazel tov is used in the sense that good fortune has already occurred and is being acknowledged, whereas in English our wish of “good luck” is for the future.
Nanci Griffith is a country singer/songwriter from Austin, Texas. Nancy had some tragic inspiration that she has used in a few of her songs, as her boyfriend was killed in a motorcycle accident right after taking her to the senior prom.
87. Name on 1952 campaign buttons : ADLAI
Adlai Stevenson ran unsuccessfully against Eisenhower in 1952. Some years later he served under President Kennedy as Ambassador to the United Nations. He was always noted for his eloquence, and had a famous exchange in a Security Council meeting during the Cuban missile crisis. “I am prepared to wait for my answer until Hell freezes over!”
89. Romance of 1847 : OMOO
“Omoo: A Narrative of the South Seas” is Herman Melville’s auto-biographical sequel to “Typee”.
93. Cool, very red celestial body : N-STAR
An N-star is also called a carbon star. An N-star’s atmosphere is rich in carbon at the expense of oxygen, leading to a striking red color.
97. Carp or flounder, typically : BOTTOM FISH
And if you look at the BOTTOM of the grid, right in the center, you’ll see the word EEL in circled letters … BOTTOM FISH.
99. Highly rated security : AA BOND
In the investment world, bonds issued by say corporations, are rated by agencies (e.g. Standard & Poor’s) who assess the credit worthiness of the securities. So, S&P rates long term securities that it believes to be the safest investments as AAA, and then AA, and A for bonds that are slightly more risky. Bonds rated BBB and lower are not considered “good” investments, and are known in the business as “junk bonds”.
101. Hungarian city : EGER
Eger is a city in the northeast of Hungary, noted among other things for its wine production. I haven’t tried them I don’t think (although we do drink a fair amount of Hungarian wine in Ireland), but I just read that Eger wines bear a resemblance to wines from Burgundy.
Sela Ward turns up in crosswords a lot. She played Teddy Reed in the TV show “Sisters” in the nineties, and was in “Once and Again” from 1999-2002. I don’t know either show. I do know her from “House” though. She played the hospital’s lawyer, and Greg House’s ex-partner. That was a fun role, I thought. Now she has turned up on CSI: NY, a welcome addition to the cast, I’d say.
104. Fashion inits. : YSL
Yves Saint-Laurent was French fashion designer, actually born in Algeria. He started off working as an assistant to Christian Dior, at the age of 17. Dior died just four years later, and as a very young man Saint-Laurent was named head of the House of Dior. However, in 1950, Saint-Laurent was conscripted into the French Army, and ended up in a military hospital after suffering a mental breakdown from the hazing inflicted by his fellow soldiers. His treatment included electroshock therapy and administration of sedatives and psychoactive drugs. He was released from prison, managed to pull his life back together, and started his own fashion house. Remarkable …
109. Three-wheeled vehicle : PEDICAB
A pedicab is also known as a cycle rickshaw.
114. Spanish bruin : OSO
In Spanish, “osa” is a female bear, and “oso” is a male.
115. Go-between : THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
And if you look right in the MIDDLE of the grid you’ll see the name AARON written in circled letters, THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE.
117. Rapper ___-A-Che : RIC
Ric-A-Che is a rapper. That’s all I know …
118. Same: Fr. : MEME
Meme is the French word for “same”.
120. Relative of a canary : SERIN
Serins form a whole group of small finches, that includes canaries.
122. “Idylls of the King” lady : ENID
“Idylls of the King” is a cycle of twelve poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, that retell the tale of King Arthur. The sixth of the twelve “idylls” is the story of Geraint and Enid.
Down
“Billy Budd
2. Italian bell town : ATRI
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “The Sicilian’s Tale; The Bell of Atri”, a narrative poem set in the small town of Atri in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
3. Dead ends? : DEES
Yep, two DEES, one at each end of the word “dead”.
4. Formerly, once : ERST
Erstwhile means “in the past”, “once upon a time”.
6. Ph.D., e.g. : DEG
In many countries, including the US, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) is the highest academic degree awarded by universities. However, in Ireland and the UK, “doctorates” can also be awarded, a higher recognition. For example, there is a Doctor of Sciences (DSc) and a Doctor of Letters (DLitt).
9. Beverage that may be foamy : LATTE
The name latte is an abbreviation of the Italian “caffelatte” meaning coffee (and) milk. Note that in the original spelling of latte, the Italian word for milk, there is no accent over the last “e”, an error that we see a lot, perhaps meant to suggest that the word is French. In fact the French equivalent of a “latte” is “cafe au lait”.
Vottoria De Sica was an Italian director and actor. He was director of the film “The Bicycle Thief
12. 48th state: Abbr. : ARIZ
Arizona was first admitted as a Confederate Territory in February 1862, in a declaration signed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Almost exactly 50 years later, Arizona became the 48th state of the Union, on Valentine’s Day in 1912.
14. Explosive trial, for short : N TEST
That would be a test of a nuclear bomb.
15. Place for a date, frequently : CORNERSTONE
Nice wording for a clue … and if you look in the southeast CORNER of the grid, you’ll seed the word STONE … CORNERSTONE.
“Alice’s Restaurant Masacree
23. “And to those thorns that ___ bosom lodge”: Shak. : IN HER
In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, acts as though she is oblivious to the murder of her husband, Claudius. At one point, the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to him, and comments on his widow’s “lack of awareness” of the crime committed. He passes judgment on her, however, saying “Leave her to heaven, and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her’.
24. St. Patrick’s land : ERIN
The Latin word for Ireland is Hibernia. Erin is an anglicized version of “Eire”, the Irish word for Ireland (actually it corresponds to Eirinn, the dative case of Eire).
30. One of the 12 tribes of Israel : SIMEON
The Hebrew Bible states that the Israelites are descended from Jacob, and that his twelve sons are the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Simeon was Jacob’s second oldest son.
The Qing Dynasty
36. Links org. : USGA
The USGA, the United States Golf Association, was formed in 1894. The need for a governing body for the sport became evident that year when both the Newport Country Club and the St. Andrew’s Gold Club in Yonkers, declared that the winner of a tournament at each of their courses was the “national amateur champion”. The first president of the USGA was Theodore Havemeyer, and to this day the one and only US Amateur Trophy bears his name.
Susan Anspach is an actress originally from New York City (Paul Simon was once her neighbor). She played the female lead in a Broadway production of “Hair”, and had her break in movies playing opposite Jack Nicholson in the 1970 film “Five Easy Pieces”.
![Five Easy Pieces [VHS]](https://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=6302757096&tag=wesneyoticrso-20)
Irish actor Liam Neeson got his really big break when he played Oskar Schindler in the Spielberg epic, “Schindler’s List”. He was in the news more recently when he lost his wife, actress Natasha Richardson, in a tragic skiing accident in 2009.
39. “Cómo ___?” : ESTA
“Come esta usted?” is the more formal way of asking, “how are you?” in Spanish.
David Cameron
50. Normandy battle town : ST-LO
Saint-Lo is a town in Normandy that was occupied by Germany in 1940. Saint-Lo stood at a strategic crossroads, and so there was intense fighting there during the Normandy invasion of 1944. After the bombardment, very little of the town was left standing.
52. Dark time, in verse : E’EN
E’en … poetically short for “evening”.
54. Just got (by) : EKED
I believe that technically speaking one can’t actually “eke out” an existence, as to “eke out” means to “make something go further or last longer”. So, you can eke out your income by cutting back on expenses, but you can’t eke out your existence, or any existence.
57. Honey badger : RATEL
The honey badger is found in most of Africa, as well as other parts of the world. It is also called a ratel, because that is the Afrikaans word for the little beast.
58. Dinner spreads : OLEOS
Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France announced a competition to develop a substitute for butter, something that would be more accessible to the lower classes and more practical for the armed forces. A French chemist called Hippolyte Mege-Mouries came up with something he called oleomargarine in 1869, which was eventually manufactured under the trade name “margarine”.
61. Engine type : DIESEL
There are two main types of internal combustion engine. Most cars in the US use spark injection engines (gasoline engines) in which a spark plug sparks in order to ignite the fuel-air mixture. A diesel engine, on the other hand, has no spark plug per se, and uses the heat generated by compressing the air-fuel mixture to cause ignition.
65. “Fer ___!” : SHER
For sure …
67. Cause of thoughtlessness? : MENTAL BLOCK
And if you look at the top of the grid in the center, you’ll see the letters M-E-N-T-A-L in a 2 x 3 BLOCK … MENTAL BLOCK.
68. Dog of old films : ASTA
Asta was the wonderful little dog in the superb movie “The Thin Man” starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” series of films.
The literal translation to the term “Bauhaus” is “House of Building”. It was a school (meaning education establishment) that operated from 1919 to 1933. It became famous for its approach to design across many disciplines, everything from art to typography.
The artist Paul Klee
73. High-hats : SNOOTS
“Snoot” is a variant of “snout” that originated in Scotland. The derivative “snooty”,an adjective to describe a “high-hat”, someone very haughty, started out as “snouty” back in the 1850s. The idea is that someone who is snooty, or snouty, tends to look down his or her nose at the rest of the world.
76. Large food tunas : AHIS
Yellowfin tuna is usually marketed as “ahi”, its Hawaiian name. It’s one big fish, often weighing over 300 pounds.
77. Bausch & ___ (lens maker) : LOMB
Bausch & Lomb is an American company headquartered in Rochester, New York. It is a major supplier of contact lenses and associated eye-care products. As one might guess, the company was founded (in 1853) by two German immigrants, John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb. Bausch was an optician, and Lomb the “money man”. The company was set up originally to manufacture monocles.
78. Langston Hughes poem : I, TOO
Langston Hughes was a poet active in the Harlem Renaissance, and someone who helped develop the literary form known as “jazz poetry”. His poetry collection titled “I, Too, Sing America” was published in 1925.
Aaliyah was a singer, actress and model from Brooklyn, New York. Sadly, just as her career was getting going, she was killed in a 2001 airplane crash in the Bahamas. She was only 22 years of age.
81. Tapers, briefly : VCRS
“Tapers” might be Video Cassette Recorders, but rarely these days. Have you tried to buy one lately?
83. Peculiar: Prefix : IDIO-
The prefix “idio-” indicates something peculiar, as in “idiosyncrasy”, a peculiarity exhibited by an individual or a group.
85. Bedouins’ trait : NOMADISM
Bedouin tribes are Arab ethnic groups that predominately live in the Middle East, in desert areas. Bedouin tribes tend to be nomadic, not settling permanently in one location.
90. Dimwit : GOLEM
Golem is Yiddish slang for a “dimwit”. In Jewish folklore, a golem is an anthropomorphic being, made out of inanimate matter, somewhat like an unintelligent robot.
92. Cinnamon tree : CASSIA
I’d never heard of cassia, which it turns out is a genus of plant in the pea family. What’s interesting, to me anyway, is that most cassia varieties are actually trees, unusual for a plant in the pea family, I would have thought. Cassia bark has a flavor very similar to cinnamon, and apparently ground cassia bark is often sold as a cheaper version of the spice, so be careful not get ripped off …
95. Indian tourist city : AGRA
The most famous mausoleum in the world has to be the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built after the death of the third wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal (hence the name of the mausoleum). The poor woman died in childbirth, delivering the couple’s 14th child!
96. Challenger astronaut Judith : RESNIK
Judith Resnik was an engineer and astronaut, and one of the crew that died on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Prior to the accident, Resnik had logged 145 hours in orbit, and was the second American woman in space.
98. Chief dwelling? : TEPEE
A tepee (also called a tipi) is a cone-shaped tent, traditionally made from animal hides, and used by the Great Plains Native Americans. A wigwam is a completely different structure, and is often a misnomer for a tepee. A wigwam is a domed structure built by Native Americans in the West and Southwest. The wigwam can also be covered with hides, but more often was covered with grass, reeds, brush or cloth. A wigwam was also built as a more permanent structure.
Liechtenstein is a tiny country, just over 61 square miles, located in the Alps in Europe. It lies between Switzerland and Austria. It has the highest gross domestic product per person in the world. It is a winter sports haven attracting lots of visitors and it is also a tax haven, with a strong financial center. There are actually more registered companies in Liechtenstein than there are citizens!
106. Certain engine : HEMI
“Hemi” is short for “hemisphere”, and is the name given to an internal combustion engine with hemispherical combustion chambers. Chrysler is famous for using Hemi engines in many of its models.
108. List-ending abbr. : ET AL
Et alii is the equivalent of et cetera, with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names.
111. Mil. leaders : CDRS
Some military leaders are Commanders.
113. “There Shall ___ Night” (Pulitzer-winning Robert E. Sherwood play) : BE NO
The American playwright Robert E. Sherwood had good, Irish blood in him. He was the great-great-nephew of the famous Irish Nationalist Robert Emmet. Sherwood was a member of the celebrated Algonquin Round Table, and a close friend of Dorothy Parker, as well as Edna Ferber. He wrote the play “There Shall Be No Night” in 1940, in the run up to WWII. It tells the story of the Russian invasion of Finland.
116. Elevs. : HTS
Heights are elevations.
The Wuchnag Uprising of 1911
***WUCHANG***
(Thanks for the puzzle explanations.)
Hi MConrad,
That's an "Oops!"
Thanks pointing out the spelling error. All fixed now.
I appreciate the help!