1108-10: New York Times Crossword Answers 8 Nov 10, Monday

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: CATCHPHRASE … all of the theme answer start with a word that can mean “catch” i.e. SEIZE (THE DAY), GRAB (A BITE TO EAT), CAPTURE (THE FLAG)
COMPLETION TIME: 6m 14s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across
The Alamo Poster Movie 11x17 Dennis Quaid Billy Bob Thornton Jason Patric Patrick Wilson4. “Remember the ___!” (cry of 1836) : ALAMO
The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day of siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Ana’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.

Wrangler Men's Rugged Wear Relaxed Fit Jean, Antique Indigo Denim, 40x349. Wranglers, e.g. : JEANS
Denim fabric originated in Nimes in France (the words “de Nimes”, “from Nimes”, gave the fabric its name). The French phrase “bleu de Genes” meaning “blue of Genoa”, gives us the word “jeans”. Jeans was the name given to denim pants, but it is now used to describe “jean” material in general.

14. ___ de Janeiro : RIO
The name Rio de Janeiro translates into “January River”. The name reflects the discovery of the Bay on which Rio sits, on January 1, 1502.

15. Pine exudation : RESIN
No one really seems to know for sure why some trees secrete resins. What is clear though, is that the resin doesn’t play an active role in primary metabolism, so some scientists regard the resin simply as a waste product. But, the resin can protect the plant from some not-so-friendly organisms, and can even attract benefactors.

Fathead Atlanta Braves Logo Wall Decal17. The Braves, on scoreboards : ATL
The Atlanta Braves are the only team to have won baseball’s World Series in three different home cities. They won as the Boston Braves in 1914, the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and the Atlanta Braves in 1995.

18. “Carpe diem” : SEIZE THE DAY
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets, Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or “Horace” as we tend to know him. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”.

22. Family car : SEDAN
The American sedan car, is the equivalent to the British and Irish saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating, and a separate trunk (boot in the UK), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

28. Quickly satisfy one’s hunger : GRAB A BITE TO EAT

American Flag 3ft x 5ft Cotton34. “___ the land of the free …” : O’ER
The words “o’er the land of the free” come from “The Star Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key. The lyrics were written first as a poem by Key, inspired by his witnessing of the bombarding by the British of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. The words were then set to the tune of a popular British drinking song written by John Stafford Smith called “The Anacreontic Song”, with Anacreontic Society being a men’s club in London.

35. Spike, as the punch : LACE
We’ve used the word “lace” to mean a net, or a string since the 1300s, and in the mid-16th century “lace” started to describe an ornamental net pattern. In the mid-17th century, one used “to lace” one’s coffee or tea with sugar, the idea being that one was “ornamenting or trimming” the beverage. It wasn’t long before “lacing” became reserved for the addition of alcohol to an otherwise “tame” drink.

36. Birth-related : NATAL
“Natal” comes from the Latin word “natalis” meaning “pertaining to birth”.

38. Large number : SLEW
Ahh … here’s an Irish word! Our usage of “slew” to mean “large number” has nothing to do with the verb “to slew”. The noun “slew” come into English in the early 1800s from the Irish word “sluagh” which meant a “host, crowd, multitude”.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears43. Owner of the bed that was too soft in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” : MAMA
The story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” was first recorded in 1837 in England, although the narrative was around before it was actually written down. The original fairy tale was rather gruesome, but successive versions became more family oriented. The character that eventually became Goldilocks was originally an elderly woman, and the three “nameless” bears became Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.

Pay It Forward Paying It Forward Degree: Custom Gag Diploma Doctorate Certificate (Funny Customized Joke Gift - Novelty Item)46. Diploma feature : SEAL
Our word “diploma” comes from Greek via Latin, with an original meaning of “state or official document”. The Greek word “diploma” described a license or a chart, and originally meant a “paper doubled over” from “diploos” the word for “double”.

48. Hosp. employee : LPN
A Licensed Practical Nurse.

49. Rough-and-tumble outdoor kids’ game : CAPTURE THE FLAG
The kid’s game “Capture the Flag” has gone hi-tech. There are computer versions of the game now, as well as an intriguing “urban game” version. In the urban game, players head out into the city streets and play in teams communicating by cell phone.

The Tate Modern Handbook53. London art gallery : TATE
“The Tate” is actually made now 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.

54. Secular : LAIC
Something that is laic (or laical) is something relating to the laity, those members of the church who are not clergy. The term “laic” ultimately comes from the Greek “laikos” meaning “of the people”.

55. Where you might get into hot water? : SPA
The word “spa” comes to us from Belgium, as Spa is the name of a health resort there. The resort’s name comes from the Walloon word “espa” meaning “spring, fountain”.

58. Passover feast : SEDER
The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish passover holiday.

64. Commonplace utterance … or a description of 18-, 28- and 49-Across? : CATCHPHRASE
We’ve used the term “catchphrase” since the mid 1800s, the idea being that it is a phrase that “catches” the mind. “Catchphrase” is probably derived from the older term “catchword”. A catchword was a device used in the world of printing before it was automated. To help the printer keep pages in order the first word of the following page was included at the bottom-right-hand corner of each page … a “catchword”. Quite interesting, huh?

67. Half a dozen : SIX
“Dozen” was imported from French. The French word for “twelve” is “douze”, and for a collection of twelve is “douzaine”.

LIAM NEESON 11X14 COLOR PHOTO69. Schindler of “Schindler’s List” : OSKAR
Irish actor Liam Neeson got his 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.

72. First-time drivers, often : TEENS
The age at which one can drive in the US (and Mexico) is very low compared to most countries in the world. We have a lot of 15-year-olds behind the wheel here, whereas in most developed countries kids would have to wait until 17, 18 or even older.

73. ___-mo : SLO
Slow motion replay of film.

Down
1. The “A” in U.A.E. : ARAB
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (states) in the Middle East. Included in the seven emirates are Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the city of Abu Dhabi being the UAE capital and cultural center.

Cover Girl - Movie Poster - 11 x 172. Hayworth of “Cover Girl” : RITA
The 1944 film “Cover Girl” was a very popular musical during the war years, starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly gets a lot of credit for the film’s success as he was given a free rein in the design of the dance scenes.

Vintage French Photo Paris Pin Up with Rita Hayworth MOUSE PADRita Hayworth was born in Brooklyn as Margarita Carmen Cansino. Her father was a flamenco dancer from Spain and so his daughter fell naturally into dancing. The family moved to Hollywood where Hayworth’s father set up a dance studio, and worked with the likes of James Cagney and Jean Harlow. The young Hayworth had a rough start in movies, finding herself typecast because of her Mediterranean features. When she underwent extensive electrolysis to change her forehead and dyed her hair red, she started to get more work. In 1941 she posed for that famous pin-up picture which accompanied GIs all over the world.

3. Late 1940s to about 1990 : COLD WAR ERA
The term “Cold War” was first used by the novelist George Orwell in a 1945 essay about the atomic bomb. He described a world under threat of nuclear war as having a “peace that is no peace”, in a permanent state of “cold war”. The specific use of “cold war” to describe the tension between the Eastern bloc and the Western allies is attributed to Bernard Baruch, an American financier, in a 1947 speech.

4. Weapons depot : ARSENAL
Our word “arsenal” comes from the Italian “arzenale”, a work adapted from the Arabic for “workshop”. There was a large wharf in Venice called the Arzenale that became associated with the storage of weapons and ammunition, and this led to our contemporary usage.

LEE J. COBB 20X24 B&W PHOTO5. Actor ___ J. Cobb : LEE
Lee J. Cobb’s most famous film roles were in “12 Angry Men” released in 1957, and “On the Waterfront” released in 1954. Cobb found himself caught up in the net cast by the dreadful House Un-American Activities Committee and was blacklisted for two years as he refused to testify. Finding himself penniless and with five children to support, he eventually did appear in front of the committee, and named twenty former members of the Communist Party USA, just to survive.

Larry Mize Autographed / Signed Black & White Golf 8x10 Photo7. 1987 Masters winner Larry : MIZE
Larry Mize only won a single major, the 1987 Masters Tournament. He famously won a playoff against Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman at the 11th hole by sinking an “impossible” chip shot after a poor approach shot to the green.

9. First impeached U.S. president : JOHNSON
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the US and came to power after the assassination of President Lincoln. As well as being Lincoln’s successor, Johnson is remembered as the first sitting president to be impeached. Johnson fell foul of the so-called “Radical Republicans” due to his efforts to quickly incorporate the southern states back into the Union. His political opponents chose the Tenure of Office Act as their “weapon” for impeachment. The Act prevented a president from removing an appointee of a past-president without the consent of the Senate. Johnson had removed the sitting Secretary of War without consulting Congress creating the opportunity for an impeachment trial in Congress. He was acquitted though, as his opponents fell one vote shy of the majority needed. The impeachment of President Johnson was the only presidential impeachment until that of President Clinton in 1999.

ALAN ALDA 11X14 COLOR PHOTO11. Alan of “Crimes and Misdemeanors” : ALDA
“Crimes and Misdemeanors” is a 1989 black comedy written and directed by Woody Allen. I’m afraid I not a fan of Woody Allen’s work, so I have never seen the movie. Alan Alda plays a pompous brother-in-law of the main character, who of course is played by Woody Allen himself.

12. Certain tide : NEAP
Tides of course are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tides, the sun and the moon’s gravities act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

25. Ski lift : T-BAR
A T-bar is a type of ski lift in which the skiers are pulled up the hill in pairs, with each pair sitting on either side of T-shaped, metal bar.

31. Razz : TEASE
Not so much here in America, but over the British Isles “blowing a raspberry” is a way of insulting someone (I think it’s called “a Bronx cheer” in the US). The verb “razz” is a shortened form of “raspberry”.

33. Busch Gardens locale : TAMPA
The Busch Gardens group of theme parks was originally envisioned as a vehicle for the promotion of Anheuser-Busch products, so free beer samples were made available to patrons (but no longer!). The Tampa location was the first of the parks to be opened, in 1959. It has an African theme, whereas the only other US Busch Gardens property, in Williamsburg, Virginia has a European theme. There are plans to open a third park in Dubai, although the project has been put on hold due to the current financial climate.

Shadowland37. Singer k. d. ___ : LANG
k.d. lang is the stage name of Kathryn Dawn Lang, a Canadian singer and songwriter. Beyond her performing career, she is a noted activist focused on animal rights, gay rights, and human rights in Tibet.

Mort Sahl Live42. Comic Mort : SAHL
Mort Sahl is a Canadian-born actor and comedian, who moved to the US with his family when he was a child. He became friends with John F. Kennedy, and later when Kennedy became president, Sahl wrote a lot of jokes for the President’s speeches, although he told a lot of Kennedy jokes in his acts. After the President was assassinated in 1963, Sahl was intensely interested in finding out who was behind the crime and even got himself deputized as a member of one of the investigating teams. He was very outspoken against the results of the Warren Commission report on the assassination, and soon found himself out of favor with the public. It took a few years for him to make his comeback, but comeback he did.

45. Squirrels away : STASHES
“Stash” is a criminal slang dating back to the late 1700s. “To stash” means “to hoard”, and is perhaps a blend of the words “stow” and “cache”.

47. Captains and commanders : LEADERS
In the US Navy, the rank of commander ranks just below that of captain.

Texas El Paso Miners NCAA Dimension Wall Clock50. Lone Star State sch. : UTEP
The University of Texas at El Paso was founded in 1914, originally as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day there is a mineshaft on the campus.

55. Offer that’s too good to be true, often : SCAM
The slang term “scam” may come from the British slang “scamp”, used for a cheater or swindler.

57. Gillette brand : ATRA
Fortunately for crossword setters, the Atra razor was introduced by Gillette in 1977. It was sold as the Contour in some markets and its derivative products are still around today.

59. Gaelic tongue : 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).

The Crystal Palace: A Portrait of Victorian Enterprise63. World’s fair : EXPO
The first “World’s Fair” was held in 1851, known back then as the “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations”. The fair was the idea of Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, and was held in a purpose-built, magnificent, glass and cast-iron structure called the Crystal Palace. The “Great Exhibition” spawned a tradition of what became known as World’s Fairs, expositions that feature national pavilions created by participating countries.

65. Animation frame : CEL
In the world of animation, a cel is a transparent sheet on which objects and characters are drawn. In the first half of the 20th century the sheet was actually made of celluloid, giving the “cel” its name.

66. ___ Bernardino Mountains : SAN
The San Bernardino Mountains are a relatively short range (60 miles long) in Southern California on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert.

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