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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: GEE WHIZ … all of the theme answers are well known expression preceded by the letter G:
– G(MAILROOM)
– G(-MAN OVERBOARD)
– G(-STRING THEORY)
– G(-SUITCASE)
COMPLETION TIME: 12m 17s!!!
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
The advice column “Dear Abby” first appeared in 1956. Pauline Phillips was Abby back then, but now the column is written by Jeanne Phillips, her daughter. The full name of the “Abby” pen name is Abigail Van Buren, which Pauline Philips came up with by combining “Abigail” from the biblical Book of Samuel, and “Van Buren” after the former US president.
“Ask Ann Landers” was an advice column written by Eppie Lederer from 1995 to 2002. Eppie was the twin sister to Pauline Phillips, the person behind “Dear Abby”. Eppie took over the “Ask Ann Landers” column from Ruth Crowley who started it in 1943.
16. Hip bones : ILIA
The sacrum and the two ilia are three bones in the human pelvis.
18. Part of the house where one might check Google messages? : GMAILROOM
Gmail is a free webmail service provided by Google, and my favorite of the free email services. Gmail made a big splash when it was introduced because it offered a whopping 1GB of storage whereas other services offered a measly 2-4MB on average.
21. Enero through diciembre : ANO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (Enero) and ends in December (Diciembre).
“American Idol” is a spin-off show, created after the amazing success of the British television show “Pop Idol”. I hate the program …
23. Cry for help on an F.B.I. cruise? : G-MAN OVERBOARD
The nickname G-men is short for “Government Men”.
27. Punkie : GNAT
A punkie is biting midge, a nasty little bug similar to a gnat.
34. Carbohydrate suffix : -OSE
The sugar we consume as “table sugar” is mainly sucrose that is extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet. We also consume lactose, naturally occurring in milk, and fructose, naturally occurring in fruit. But most of the sugar we eat or drink tends to be prepared commercially, the most famous being high-fructose corn syrup, which is glucose that is industrially processed into a glucose/fructose mix. Don’t get me started on the politics of food …
35. Stage that includes a cocoon : PUPA
The pupa is an intermediate stage in the development of an insect. All four stages are embryo, larva, pupa and imago.
We used to see a lot of American television programming growing up in Ireland, but “Leave It to Beaver” was one show that didn’t make it across the Atlantic. I’ve seen a couple of episodes, and I am not sure it would travel well. The show went on the air for the first time the day that Sputnik was launched by the Russians, and aired its last show just a few months before President Kennedy was assassinated. An iconic series, by all accounts.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band was the alter-ego of the Beatles, used in the studio album of the same name released in 1967.
44. AOL rival : MSN
MSN was originally called The Microsoft Network, introduced in 1995 as an integral part of Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system. MSN is a whole bundle of services including email, instant messaging, and the MSN.com portal (the 9th most visited site on the Internet).
Founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1983, America Online changed its name in 1989. As the company went international, the acronym AOL was used in order to shake off the “America-centric” sound to “America Online”. During the heady days of AOL’s success, the company could not keep up with the growing number of subscribers, so people trying to connect often encountered busy signals. That’s when users called AOL “Always Off-Line”.
“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar, winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, it is the best selling DVD of all time, and until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest grossing G-rated movie.
51. Guess as to how the thong came to exist? : G-STRING THEORY
There has always been a conflict between the theory of relativity and quantum theory. Basically, the theory of relativity works for “big stuff” but breaks down when applied to minute things like subatomic particles. On the other hand, quantum theory was developed to explain behavior at the subatomic level, and just doesn’t work on the larger scale. One of the reasons physicists are so excited about string theory is that it works at the macro and micro levels. According to string theory, all particles in the universe are really little “strings”, as opposed to the points or ball-shaped entities assumed by the other theories.
Ovate is egg-shaped.
Robert E. Lee is of course renowned as a southern officer in the Civil War. He was a somewhat reluctant participant, in that Lee opposed the secession of his home state of Virginia from the Union. At the beginning of the war, President Lincoln invited Lee to take command of the whole Union Army, but Lee declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his home state.
A G-suit is needed when astronauts and aviators are subject to high accelerations. Such acceleration can cause blood to pool in the lower part of the body, reducing the supply to the brain and possibly leading to a black-out. A G-suit is basically a special pair of tight-fitting pants that is fitted with inflatable bladders. The bladders inflate during high accelerations, tightening around the legs and abdomen, reducing the amount of blood pooling.
Neil Armstrong is the most private of individuals. You don’t often see him giving interviews, unlike so many of the more approachable astronauts of the Apollo space program. His famous, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind” statement, that was something that he came up with himself while Apollo 11 was making its way to the moon.
64. Latvia’s capital : RIGA
Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture.
Nick Van Exel is a retired NBA basketball player, and now assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks.
“Joey” is the name given to all infant marsupials, not just kangaroos. No one really seems to know for sure what the etymology is of the term “joey”.
Down
2. Bleachers sign : HI MOM
At a sports event, one often sits in the “bleachers”. This is a peculiarly American term for the tiered stands that provide seating for spectators. These seats were originally wooden planks and as they were uncovered they would be “bleached” by the sun, giving the name we use today. Sometimes the fans using the bleachers might be referred to as “bleacherites”.
3. Appliance brand : AMANA
The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa.
5. Lao-___ : TSE
Lao Tse is a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism.
The Mai Tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but it was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice, and then a float of 6 parts dark rum.
“First Blood” was the first of the four “Rambo” films, starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam War veteran. I thought “First Blood” was a pretty good film actually, but the sequels were terrible, and way too violent for me. But, action all the way …
13. Candied dish : YAMS
Although in the US we sometimes refer to sweet potatoes as “yams”, the yam is actually a completely different family of plant. True yams are more common in other parts of the the world than they are in this country, especially Africa.
Ava Gardner is noted for her association with some big movies, but also for her association with some big names when it came to the men in her life. In the world of film, she appeared in the likes of “Mogambo” (1953), “On the Beach” (1959), “The Night of the Iguana” (1964) and “Earthquake” (1974). The men in her life included husbands Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra. After her marriages had failed (and perhaps before!) she had long term relationships with Howard Hughes, as well bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin whom she met through her friend Ernest Hemingway.
26. “The ___ Love” : ONE I
“The One I Love” was a song released in 1987 by the rock band R.E.M. The lyrics are somewhat cynical. The song starts out with “This one goes out to the one I love”, but then the second line is less wholesome, “A simple prop to occupy my time” …
Michelle Wie is an American golfer on the LPGA Tour. She began playing golf at the age of four and was the youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA tour event. Wie turned pro just before her 16th birthday …
Alan Alda had a great television career, but when it comes to the big screen my favorite of his movies is the 1978 romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” in which he starred opposite Ellen Burstyn.
32. Lysol target : GERM
The disinfectant called Lysol takes its name from the words “lysosome” and “solvent”. Lysosomes are structures found within cells that have the job of breaking up waste material and cellular debris.
38. Mideast ruler : EMIR
In English, emir can also be written as amir and ameer (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).
“NYPD Blue” is a police drama that was originally aired in 1993, and ran until 2005. Esai Morales played Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez in the latter years of the show.
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 starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the 2010 release “Due Date”.
48. Leave in : STET
“Stet” is the Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” beside the change and then underscoring the change with a line of dots (or dashes).
49. Shoelace tips : AGLETS
An aglet is the plastic or metal sheath that is found on the end of a shoelace or perhaps a drawstring. The name “aglet” comes from the Old French word “aguillette” meaning “needle”.
50. U.S. 1, for one: Abbr. : RTE
US Route 1 runs from Fort Kent in Maine, right down to Key West in Florida.
54. Bit of electrical work : RELAY
A relay is a switch, one that is operated electrically as opposed to mechanically. Relays tend to be used when a high-power circuit needs to be controlled by a low-power signal.
56. “Fee fi fo fum” sayer : OGRE
The line “fee-fi-fo-fum” (with various spellings) comes from the famous English fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Within the story, the giant at the top of the beanstalk utters a little poem when he detects the presence of Jack:
Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.
The Arizona Diamondbacks joined Major League Baseball’s National League in 1998. By winning the World Series in 2001 they became the fastest expansion team to do so in Major League history.
63. Onetime Sixers great : DR J
Julius Erving is a retired professional basketball player who was known as Dr. J, a nickname he picked up in high school. Dr. J was a trailblazer in many ways, being the first player associated with slam dunking, as well as other moves above the rim.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Old Testament verb : SHALT
6. Locale for a lashing : MAST
10. Ann’s advice-giving sister : ABBY
14. Prom rentals : LIMOS
15. Locale : AREA
16. Hip bones : ILIA
17. Leave slack-jawed : AMAZE
18. Part of the house where one might check Google messages? : GMAILROOM
20. Number of trades Jack is a master of : NONE
21. Enero through diciembre : ANO
22. Some winners on a Fox talent show : IDOLS
23. Cry for help on an F.B.I. cruise? : G-MAN OVERBOARD
27. Punkie : GNAT
28. Puts down, as the red carpet : UNROLLS
31. Reach a concord : AGREE
34. Carbohydrate suffix : -OSE
35. Stage that includes a cocoon : PUPA
36. Grazing site : LEA
37. Beaver Cleaver expletive … or what you might need to be to answer 18-, 23-, 51- and 60-Across? : GEE WHIZ
41. Pepper’s rank: Abbr. : SGT
42. Wee bit : DRIB
44. AOL rival : MSN
45. Substitute for : ACT AS
47. Dory’s affliction in “Finding Nemo” : AMNESIA
49. Half of a McDonald’s logo : ARCH
51. Guess as to how the thong came to exist? : G-STRING THEORY
56. Like a prefall Humpty Dumpty : OVATE
58. Pale pub potable : ALE
59. Gen. Robert ___ : E LEE
60. Where Neil Armstrong might store his gear? : G-SUITCASE
63. Part of basketball practice : DRILL
64. Latvia’s capital : RIGA
65. Kegger locale : FRAT
66. Coke, to Pepsi : RIVAL
67. Basketball All-Star Nick Van ___ : EXEL
68. Lubricates : OILS
69. Kangaroo babies : JOEYS
Down
1. Some teen talk : SLANG
2. Bleachers sign : HI MOM
3. Appliance brand : AMANA
4. Sore throat soother : LOZENGE
5. Lao-___ : TSE
6. Word with babe or bar : MAGNET
7. Knight’s gear : ARMOR
8. Deep blue : SEA
9. Mai ___ : TAI
10. Certain plane delivery : AIRDROP
11. Rambo’s drive : BLOODLUST
12. H.S. science class : BIOL
13. Candied dish : YAMS
19. Teller of tales : LIAR
21. One of Frank’s exes : AVA
24. A thousand bucks : ONE G
25. Political family name : BUSH
26. “The ___ Love” : ONE I
29. Org. for Michelle Wie : LPGA
30. Info on college applications : SATS
31. Alan who was born Alphonso D’Abruzzo : ALDA
32. Lysol target : GERM
33. Meteorologist’s tool : RAIN GAUGE
34. Admit, with “up” : OWN
38. Mideast ruler : EMIR
39. “NYPD Blue” actor Morales : ESAI
40. Actor Galifianakis of “The Hangover” : ZACH
43. Inhuman : BESTIAL
46. “Toodle-oo!” : CHEERIO
48. Leave in : STET
49. Shoelace tips : AGLETS
50. U.S. 1, for one: Abbr. : RTE
52. Like Bob Dylan’s voice : NASAL
53. Green shade : OLIVE
54. Bit of electrical work : RELAY
55. Hollers : YELLS
56. “Fee fi fo fum” sayer : OGRE
57. Kind of engine : V-SIX
61. Corp. V.I.P. : CFO
62. N.L. West team, on scoreboards : ARI
63. Onetime Sixers great : DR J