1207-10: New York Times Crossword Answers 7 Dec 10, Tuesday

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: FOOTBALL MATCH-UP … all the theme answers are two words, each word being the name of an NFL football team.
COMPLETION TIME: 8m 30s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies

Across
1. Neighbor of Kuwait : IRAQ
Iraq is often called the “Cradle of Civilization” as it was home to the earliest known civilization on the planet, Sumer. By 5000 BC the Sumerian people were practicing year-round agriculture and had a specialized labor force. For the first time, a whole race were able to settle in one place by storing food, instead of having to migrate in a pattern dictated by crops and grazing land.

The Long Program: Skating Toward Life's Victories10. Ice Follies venue : RINK
The Ice Follies was an ice show founded in 1937 by Eddie and Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, that for many years went under the name Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies. The show toured constantly, and featured Olympic stars, the most famous probably being Peggy Fleming. The Ice Follies show was merged with the competing spectacular Holiday on Ice in 1979.

Mork & Mindy - The Second Season14. Half of Mork’s sign-off : NANU
“Mork & Mindy” was broadcast from 1978 to 1982. We were first introduced to Mork (played by Robin Williams, of course) in a special episode of “Happy Days”. The particular episode in question has a bizarre storyline culminating in Fonzie and Mork having a thumb-to-finger duel. Eventually Richie wakes up in bed, and alien Mork was just part of a dream! Oh, and “Nanu Nanu” means hello back on the planet Ork. “I am Mork from Ork, Nanu Nanu”. Great stuff …

16. Arabian Peninsula sultanate : OMAN
Oman lies on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, neighbored by the OAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Oman is a Sultanate, headed by a hereditary sultan. The current head of state is Qaboos bin Said Al Said, and he rules with the help of an elected advisory council (instituted in the early nineties). There are no legal, political parties however.

NFL Kansas City Chiefs 12-Inch Vinyl Logo Magnet17. Governor in Austin? : CHIEF TEXAN
The Kansas City Chiefs were founded as the Dallas Texans in 1960, a charter member team of the AFL. The Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963 and took the name of the Chiefs. The team owners (perhaps naively) expected to keep the Texans name in Kansas City, but a fan contest opted instead for the Chiefs, named after the Kansas City mayor at the time, “Chief” Bartle.

The NFL had a Dallas Texan team for just one season, back in 1952. The Texans were one of the worst teams in NFL history, finishing that one season with a record of 1-11. That one win was in the Rubber Bowl at the end of the season played against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day. The game was played in front of only 3,000 spectators, with the Bears only fielding their second-string team.

19. Area that may have stained-glass windows : APSE
The apse of a church or cathedral is a semicircular recess in an outer wall, usually with a half dome as a roof, and often where there resides an altar. Originally, apses were used as burial places for the clergy and also for storage of important relics.

23. All the world’s one, to the Bard : STAGE
“As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s comedies, the tale of Rosalind fleeing from her Uncle’s court, along with her cousin, Celia and the court jester, Touchstone. The play is perhaps most memorable for an oft-quoted monologue that starts with:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players …”

25. Unwelcome result of a shopping spree? : GIANT BILL
Fathead New York Giants Logo Wall DecalThe New York Giants NFL team is actually based in New Jersey, in East Rutherford. The team joined the NFL back in 1925, in the days when there already existed a New York Giants baseball team (now the San Francisco Giants). As a result, to this day the legal name for the team is the “New York Football Giants”.

Buffalo Bills Logo Wall DecalThe Buffalo Bills, founded in 1959, were named after an earlier team with the same name that had merged with the Cleveland browns back in 1950. The Bills name was obviously popular with fans, as the name was chosen in public contest. The older team had been named for “Buffalo Bill” Cody. The team mascot is Billy Buffalo, and the cheerleaders are known as the Buffalo Jills.

28. Give kudos : LAUD
Our word “kudos” means acclaim given for an exceptional achievement. “Kudos” is not a plural, despite a common misapprehension. It is a singular noun derived from the Greek “kyddos” meaning “glory, fame”.

31. Sluggers’ stats : RBIS
Runs Batted In.

39. Bit of Sunday TV scheduling … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 50- and 59-Across : FOOTBALL MATCH-UP

42. Aid in finding sunken ships : SONAR
The British developed the first underwater detection system using sound waves. Research was driven by defense demands during WWI, leading to production of working units in 1922. This new sound detection system was described as using “supersonics”, but for the purpose of secrecy the term was dropped in favor of an acronym. The work was done under the auspices of the Royal Navy’s Anti-Submarine Division, so ASD was combined with the IC from “superson-ic-s”) to create the name ASDIC. The navy even went as far as renaming the quartz material at the heart of the technology “ASDivite”. By the time WWII came along, the Americans were producing their own systems and coined the term SONAR, playing off the related application, RADAR. And so, ASDIC was deep-sixed …

44. Jackson or Winslet : KATE
CHARLIE'S ANGELS KATE JACKSON 16X20 B&W PHOTOKate Jackson is known for playing one of the original “Charlie’s Angels”, Sabrina Duncan (she was always my favorite Angel!). The shooting schedule for the show prevented her from taking other roles, including one that was taken instead by Meryl Streep, the title role in “Kramer vs Kramer” released in 1979.

KATE WINSLET 8x10 COLOUR PHOTOKate Winslet is one of my favorite actresses, someone known for taking both the big Hollywood roles while still finding the time to act in smaller, independent films. Perhaps her most famous part was played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic”, although she won her Oscar for a more dramatic role in “The Reader”. But my favorite of her performances is in the romantic comedy “The Holiday” from 2006. I love that movie …

45. Sock hop locale : GYM
Sock hops were high school dances typically held in the school gym or cafeteria. The term “sock hop” originated because the dancers were often required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor in the gym.

Frenemy47. Galifianakis of “The Hangover” : ZACH
Zach Galifianakis is a stand-up comedian who is making a name for himself on the big screen. He garnered a lot of attention for his role in 2009’s “The Hangover”, and also stars opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 release “Due Date”.

What Falls Away49. Actress Farrow : MIA
Mia Farrow is an energetic, award-winning actress who really hasn’t looked back in her career since her first leading role in “Rosemary’s Baby” back in 1968. Her on-screen celebrity is matched by the interest created by her personal life. Her first husband was Frank Sinatra, a wedding in 1966 that received a lot of attention partly due to the couple’s age difference (she was 21, he was 50). Her second husband was almost as famous, the magnificent musician André Previn. Farrow then moved in with Woody Allen, a relationship that famously fell apart when Farrow discovered the Allen was having a sexual relationship with Soon-Yi, one of her adopted daughters from the marriage with André Previn.

50. Airport baggage handler? : JET PACKER
New York Jets Logo Wall DecalJust like the New York Giants, the New York Jets are based in New Jersey, headquartered in Florham Park. The Jets and the Giants have a unique arrangement in the NFL in that the two teams share the same stadium, the New Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets were an AFL charter team, formed in 1959 as the Titans of New York. They changed their name to the Jets in 1963.

Fathead Green Bay Packers Logo Wall DecalWhen Curly Lambeau founded his small-town football team  in Green Bay in 1919, he was working for the Indian Packing Company. He went to his employers looking for sponsorship and was given $250 provided that the team was named for the company. Initially Green Bay was referred to as the Green Bay Indians, but by the time they took to the field for their first game it had changed to the Packers.

57. “S O S,” e.g. : PLEA
The combination of three dots – three dashes – three dots, is a Morse signal first introduced by the German government as a standard distress call in 1905. The sequence is remembered as the letters SOS (three dots – pause – three dashes – pause – three dots), but, in the emergency signal there is no pause between the dots and dashes, so SOS is in effect only a mnemonic. Similarly, the phrases “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” are also only mnemonics, introduced after the Morse signal was adopted.

59. Sheep’s accuser? : RAM CHARGER
St. Louis Rams Fan BannerThe St. Louis Rams has only won the Super Bowl once, in 1999, against the Tennessee Titans. The Rams were based in Cleveland from 1936-45, Los Angeles from 1946-94 and St. Louis from 1995 to the present day.

Fathead San Diego Chargers Logo Wall DecalThe San Diego Chargers was an AFL charter team, so was established in 1959. They played their first season in Los Angeles, and moved to San Diego in 1961.

68. Presidents Tyler and Taylor, for two : WHIGS
The Whig Party (in the US) operated from 1833 to 1856, as the opposition party to the Democrats. One of the tenets of the Whig Party was the supremacy of Congress over the Executive branch. Prominent members of the party included Presidents Zachary Taylor and John Tyler.

69. Plastic brick brand : LEGO
Lego is manufactured by Lego Group, a privately held company headquartered in Billund, Denmark. The company was founded by a carpenter called Ole Kirk Christiansen who had been making wooden toys in his workshop since 1932. The Lego company was created in 1934, and the now-famous plastic interlocking blocks were introduced in 1949 and sold as “Automatic Binding Bricks”. “Lego” is easier to remember, I think! The company name comes from the Danish term “leg godt” meaning “play well”.

Down
The Caine Mutiny4. “The Caine Mutiny” captain : QUEEG
Herman Wouk won a Pulitzer in 1951 for his novel “The Caine Mutiny”. The story involves mutiny and court-martial aboard a US Navy vessel, and reflected, at least partly, the personal experiences of Wouk as he served in the Pacific in WWII aboard a destroyer-minesweeper. The novel was adapted into a marvelous film released in 1954, starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Queeg, the harsh captain of the USS Caine.

8. Cousin of an alpaca : LLAMA
Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for their fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.

9. Weather-affecting current : EL NINO
When the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean rises or falls more that half a degree centigrade, then there is said to be an El Nino episode. That small temperature change in the Pacific has been associated with climatic changes that can stretch right across the globe. El Nino is Spanish for “the boy” and is a reference to the Christ child. It was given this Spanish name because the warming is usually noticed near South America and around Christmas-time.

I.M. Pei (Asian Americans of Achievement)11. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame architect : I. M. PEI
I. M. Pei is an exceptional American architect, born in China. Of his many wonderful works, my favorite is the renovation of the Louvre in Paris, especially the Glass Pyramid in the courtyard. I’ve never visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame building in Cleveland, but from pictures I can see that there are elements that are very similar to Pei’s work at the Louvre. There is a steel and glass pyramid protruding from the roof of the Hall of Fame that looks it came straight from Paris.

Cancer Schmancer12. Like Fran Drescher’s voice : NASAL
Fran Drescher’s real name is Francine Jane Drescher, a comedian and comic actress best known for playing Fran Fine on the sitcom “The Nanny”. Fran was born in Queens, New York (go figure!). Her big break came with a small role, but in a huge movie. You might recall in “Saturday Night Fever” that John Travolta was asked by a pretty dancer, “Are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?” Well, that was Fran Drescher.

13. Mournful peal : KNELL
The word “knell” is used for a solemn ring from a bell, often associated with death or a funeral. “Knell” comes the Old English “cnell” and is probably imitative in origin, sounding like a peal from a large bell.

23. Feudal drudges : SERFS
A serf was a member of the lowest feudal class, someone attached to land owned by a lord. “Serf” comes from the Latin “servus”, meaning “slave”.

24. Verboten : TABOO
“Verboten” is the German word for “forbidden”, a word that we have imported into English.

The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. He described the word “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

29. Attorney’s org. : ABA
The American Bar Association was founded back in 1878, and is a voluntary association for lawyers and law students. The main focus of the ABA is setting academic standards for law schools, and setting ethical codes for the profession.

32. Event that may include blue films : STAG PARTY
Back where I come from, bachelor parties are called stag parties, and bachelorette parties are hen parties. And in Ireland the fairer sex usually isn’t welcome at a stag party, not even for entertainment purposes. We tend to focus on the drink …

36. Bubbly drink : CHAMPAGNE
Dom Pérignon is the name given to the prestige label of champagne from Moët et Chandon, the French winery. The label’s name honors the Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon, who helped to improve the quality and production of champagne in the early 18th century. Although Dom Pérignon made major contributions to the production of champagne, many of the stories in which he figures are just myths. He did not “invent” champagne, nor sparkling wine in general. Nor did he say the famous words, “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!”. That lovely line first appeared in a print advertisement in the late 1800s!

2' WOOD GAFF W/2^ HOOK38. Gaff, to a fisherman : SPEAR
A gaff is that dangerous metal hook on the end of a pole that fishermen use to drag large fish into their boats.

40. Orator William Jennings ___ : BRYAN
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician, a noted figure in the Democratic Party, and Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. He ran for the office of President three times, unsuccessfully of course. But he was a great orator, and used his skill to great effect in his campaigning. In fact, it was Bryan who created the national stumping tour, traveling around the country making hundreds of speeches, in days when the other candidates stayed at home.

Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner46. Dr. Phil’s last name : MCGRAW
Dr. Phil (McGraw) met Oprah Winfrey when he was hired to work with her as a legal consultant during the Amarillo Texas beef trial (when the industry sued Oprah for libel over “Mad Cow Disease” statements). Oprah was impressed with Dr. Phil, and invited him onto her show, and we haven’t stopped seeing him since …

48. Hip-shaking dance : HULA
Hula is the name of the Polynesian dance, and the chant or song that the dance illustrates, that’s known as the mele.

JARED LETO 8x10 COLOR PHOTO50. Actor Leto of “American Psycho” : JARED
Jared Leto is an actor and musician. In the world of music he is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. In the film world his most critically acclaimed role was that of a heroin addict in “Requiem for a Dream”. He also appeared in “American Psycho”, “Panic Room” and “Lord of War”.

STACY KEACH 20X24 COLOR PHOTO53. Stacy who played Mike Hammer : KEACH
What a distinctive voice Stacy Keach has, one that has served him well. In addition to his great appearances on screen, Keach is familiar to viewers as a narrator for television series like “Nova”, “American Experience” and “National Geographic”. Keach was born with a cleft lip and partial cleft palate that required lots of surgery when he was a child. I’d say he is a remarkable role model for kids born with a similar problem, and indeed today Keach is the honorary chairperson of the Cleft Palate Foundation.

57. Degs. for many profs : PHDS
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).

60. CAT scan alternative : MRI
A CT (or “CAT”) scan produces (via computer manipulation) a three dimensional image of the inside of an object, usually the human body. It does so by taking a series of two dimensional x-ray images while rotating the camera around the patient. The issue with CT Scans is that they use x-rays, and high doses of radiation can be harmful and that damage is cumulative over time. An MRI on the other hand (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses powerful magnetic fields to generate its images so there is no exposure to ionizing radiation (like X-rays). We used MRI technology in our chemistry labs at school, back in the days when the technology was still called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Apparently the marketing folks didn’t like the term “nuclear” because of its association with ionizing radiation and bombs, so it’s now just called MRI.

62. Trio after D : EFG
ABCDEFG …

Disney Winnie the Pooh - Roo Plush Doll - 10 inch63. Kanga’s baby : ROO
Kanga is a friend of Winnie-the-Pooh, a kangaroo. She is the mother of Roo, who appears more frequently in the storyline.

Like most of the characters in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh”, Roo is based on a stuffed toy belonging to his son, Christopher Robin Milne.

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Neighbor of Kuwait : IRAQ
5. Sugar source : MAPLE
10. Ice Follies venue : RINK
14. Half of Mork’s sign-off : NANU
15. Volunteer’s cry : I WILL
16. Arabian Peninsula sultanate : OMAN
17. Governor in Austin? : CHIEF TEXAN
19. Area that may have stained-glass windows : APSE
20. Come together : MEET
21. Card player’s boo-boo : MISDEAL
23. All the world’s one, to the Bard : STAGE
25. Unwelcome result of a shopping spree? : GIANT BILL
27. Chow down : EAT
28. Give kudos : LAUD
30. “Black gold” : OIL
31. Sluggers’ stats : RBIS
33. Life stories, for short : BIOS
35. Nut jobs : LOCOS
39. Bit of Sunday TV scheduling … or a hint to 17-, 25-, 50- and 59-Across : FOOTBALL MATCH-UP
42. Aid in finding sunken ships : SONAR
43. Part of a wedding cake : TIER
44. Jackson or Winslet : KATE
45. Sock hop locale : GYM
47. Galifianakis of “The Hangover” : ZACH
49. Actress Farrow : MIA
50. Airport baggage handler? : JET PACKER
54. Like half of a pair of dentures : UPPER
56. Do the work of a florist or an orchestrator : ARRANGE
57. “S O S,” e.g. : PLEA
58. Belly laugh : ROAR
59. Sheep’s accuser? : RAM CHARGER
64. Cut and paste, say : EDIT
65. Pungent-smelling : ACRID
66. Lowdown : INFO
67. Say isn’t so : DENY
68. Presidents Tyler and Taylor, for two : WHIGS
69. Plastic brick brand : LEGO

Down
1. Abbr. at the end of a co. name : INC
2. Cheerleader’s cry : RAH
3. Walt Disney’s specialty : ANIMATION
4. “The Caine Mutiny” captain : QUEEG
5. Oven user’s aid : MITT
6. Leave dumbstruck : AWE
7. Snapshots, for short : PIX
8. Cousin of an alpaca : LLAMA
9. Weather-affecting current : EL NINO
10. Place for a “Bridge Out” sign : ROADBLOCK
11. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame architect : I. M. PEI
12. Like Fran Drescher’s voice : NASAL
13. Mournful peal : KNELL
18. Have a hunch : FEEL
22. Bit of equipment for a circus clown : STILT
23. Feudal drudges : SERFS
24. Verboten : TABOO
25. Burden of the conscience-stricken : GUILT
26. Put on a pedestal : IDOLIZE
29. Attorney’s org. : ABA
32. Event that may include blue films : STAG PARTY
34. Dirty campaign tactic : SMEAR
36. Bubbly drink : CHAMPAGNE
37. Protruding navel : OUTIE
38. Gaff, to a fisherman : SPEAR
40. Orator William Jennings ___ : BRYAN
41. Rainbow shape : ARC
46. Dr. Phil’s last name : MCGRAW
48. Hip-shaking dance : HULA
50. Actor Leto of “American Psycho” : JARED
51. Chip away at : ERODE
52. Choo-choo : TRAIN
53. Stacy who played Mike Hammer : KEACH
55. Danger : PERIL
57. Degs. for many profs : PHDS
60. CAT scan alternative : MRI
61. A smoker might bum one : CIG
62. Trio after D : EFG
63. Kanga’s baby : ROO

Return to top of page