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: MIXED MEDIA … each of the themed answers contains a run of circled letter that is an anagram of MEDIA
– MINUT(E MAID)
– HOP(E DIAM)OND
– BEDS(IDE MA)NNER
– A (DIME A) DOZEN
COMPLETION TIME: 6m 45s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. “… three men in ___” : A TUB
The nursery rhyme “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” dates back to at least 1798 when it was first published in London:
“Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.”
14. Basra native : IRAQI
It’s quite a coincidence that the Iraqi city of Basra has a name that is an anagram of “Arabs”, isn’t it? Basra also features in the H. G. Wells science-fiction tale “The Shape of Things to Come”. Written in 1933, the storyline predicts a global conflict (WWII) that breaks out in 1940 lasting for ten years, after which chaos reigns as no victor emerges. Following worldwide plague, a benevolent dictatorship emerges, and the world moves towards a serene utopia. In time, the dictators are overthrown and peacefully retired, and the people of the Earth live happily ever after, all citizens of one, global state, with its capital in Basra in the Middle East.
Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years, producing more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns describing her home life in suburbia.
17. Big name in orange juice : MINUTE MAID
In the mid-forties a process was developed to concentrate orange juice into a powder, the intent being to make it available to the armed forces. When WWII came to an end the government’s need for the product went away, so Florida Foods Corporation was set up to market orange juice concentrate (rather than powder) to the public. This new concentrate was given the name “Minute Maid” implying that juice could be prepared quickly by simple dilution.
The sousaphone is a kind of tuba that was specifically designed to send the sound upward and over the rest of the orchestra, with a warm tone, achieved with a large bell that pointed upwards. The instrument was developed at the request of the composer John Philip Sousa, hence the name. The design proved to be more suitable than its predecessors for use in marching bands, and that is how it is used most frequently today.
20. Bangladesh’s capital, old-style : DACCA
Dacca is now known as Dhaka, and is the capital city of Bangladesh. Dhaka is known for many things, including production of the finest muslin in the world. It’s also the rickshaw capital of the world with about 400,000 rickshaws running each day.
21. Prison “screw” : JAILER
The use of the word “screw” to mean a prison guard dates back to the early 1800s, when it originated as underworld slang. The name is a reference to a screw-like key carried by the warders.
23. Rocket interceptor, for short : ABM
An ABM is an anti-ballistic missile, a rocket designed to intercept and destroy a ballistic missile, as one might expect. A ballistic missile, as opposed to a cruise missile, is guided during the initial launch phase but later in flight just relies on thrust and gravity (hence “ballistic”) to arrive at its target. As an aside, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater that 3,500 miles.
The Hope Diamond is a very large diamond (45.52 carats) that is a deep blue color due to trace amounts of boron found within the crystal structure. The diamond has quite a history, the legend being that in its original (larger) form it was the eye in a sculpted statue of a Hindu god. It passed through a number of hands, being recut at least twice, and in the 19th century ended up in the collection of an Anglo-Dutch banker called Henry Philip Hope, whose name is currently used for the gem. Eventually it fell into the hands of a New York diamond merchant called Harry Winston who agreed to donate it to the Smithsonian. To deliver the diamond to its new owners, Winston popped the gem into a plain brown paper bag and sent it through the US Mail.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was published in 1886. There are many tales surrounding the writing of the story including one that he wrote the basic story in just three to six days, and spent a few weeks simply refining it. Allegedly, the use of cocaine got the creative juices moving.
30. Sign at a sellout : SRO
Standing Room Only!
32. Motherland, affectionately : OLD SOD
Or as we ex-pat Irish would say, the Auld Sod …
35. ___ contendere : NOLO
“Nolo contendere” is a legal term that translates from the Latin as “I do not wish to contend”. That is, it’s the plea of “no contest”, an alternative to “guilty” or “not guilty”, meaning that one doesn’t admit guilt, but nor does not dispute the charge.
43. Pre-Russia intl. economic coalition : G-SEVEN
The G6 was a group of six industrialized nations that formed in 1975 whose governments met on a periodic basis. The founding members were France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. The membership expanded in 1976 with the addition of Canada, forming the G7. Since 1997 Russia is also represented, and the group is now called the G8.
45. Chinese menu phrase : NO MSG
Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of a naturally-occurring (and non-essential) amino acid, glutamic acid. It is used widely as a flavor enhancer, particularly in many Asian cuisines. Whether or not it is harmful seems to be still under debate. I say that something produced in a test tube shouldn’t be in our food …
Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”.
51. “Jesus ___” (shortest Bible verse) : WEPT
The shortest verse in the King James Bible is in the Gospel of John; Chapter 11; Verse 35 … “Jesus wept.” The verse occurs in the context of the death of Lazarus. He arrives four days after his friend’s passing, weeps in front of his tomb, and then raises him from the dead. The longest verse is in the Book of Ester; Chapter 8; Verse 9, which has 78 words.
Noh is a form of musical drama in Japan, that has been around since the 14th century. Many of the performers are masked, allowing all the roles to be played by men, both male and female parts.
58. Govt. security : T-NOTE
A Treasury note (T-Note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-Note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A T-Bill is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-Bond matures in 20-30 years.
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.
68. Resort isle near Venezuela : ARUBA
Aruba is one of the so-called ABC Islands. The ABC Islands is the nickname given to the three western-most islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean. The nickname comes from the first letters of the island names: Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. All three of the ABC Islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
69. Fleet fleet, once, in brief : SSTS
SuperSonic Transports, like the Concorde, broke Mach 1, the speed of sound. The whole of the Concorde fleet is grounded now.
Dad’s root beer was developed by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns in 1937, and was given the name “Dad’s” in honor of Klapman’s father who used to make root beer for his family at home.
Down
1. Milne’s absent-minded “Mr.” : PIM
A. A. Milne (of “Winnie-the-Pool” fame) wrote a play called “Mr. Pim Passes By” in 1919, a big hit starring Leslie Howard in the original London production.
2. ___ Lanka : SRI
The name Sri Lanka translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.
7. Glass or Gershwin : IRA
![Historic Print (S): [Ira Gershwin, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left]](https://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003AU1B82&tag=wesneyoticrso-20)
9. Pilgrim to Mecca : HADJI
Hadji is the term used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and it is sometimes also used as a form of address for such a person. The word Hadji actually translates into English as “pilgrim”.
11. French port near Marseille : TOULON
As well as being a town on southern coast of France, Toulon is a military port and home to the French Mediterranean Fleet. In particular it is the home port of the French Navy’s sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle.
22. ___ rod (tall-stemmed plant) : AARON’S
Aaron’s Rod is a nickname for a hairy biennial plant that grows to about 2m tall. It has another nickname, Cowboy’s Toilet Paper … which I don’t understand at all …
23. Foofaraw : ADO
Foofaraw is excessive or flashy ornamentation, or a fuss over something that is unimportant.
Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 started studying medicine at the University of Buenos Aries. While studying he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While travelling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. He dropped out of medical school and became involved in social reform in Guatemala. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.
Timothy Leary was an icon of the sixties counterculture, a promoter of the use of LSD. After he died, some of his ashes were “buried” in space, launched aboard a rocket that contained the ashes of 24 other people, including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry.
33. Plains Indians : OSAGES
The Osage Nation originated in the Ohio River valley in what we now call Kentucky. They were forced to migrate west of the Mississippi by the invading Iroquois tribe. Most of the tribe members now live in Osage County, Oklahoma.
34. Twice cinq : DIX
2 x 5=10, in French.
41. Defaulter’s loss, informally : REPO
Repo: repossessed property.
45. City near Mt. Vesuvius : NAPLES
Mount Vesuvius is on the Bay of Naples, just over five miles from the city of Naples. The most famous of its eruptions took place in AD 79, the one which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today Vesuvius is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, largely because it is at the center of the most densely populated volcanic region in the world, with 3 million people living nearby.
I did a blind taste test on all the big-selling non-alcoholic beers with a friend of mine. O’Doul’s Amber won the day pretty decisively, which surprised us, as it was the cheapest!
Although I did not recognize the name, now that I’ve done a look-up, I do recognize some of the work of Jean-François Millet. I’ve had the privilege of viewing a couple of his paintings in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris a few times. Millet spent much of his time painting peasant farmers in the countryside surrounding Barbizon, where he lived in France. Millet’s most celebrated work is called “The Gleaners”, which depicts poor women taking advantage of their centuries-old right to remove the bits of grain left in the fields following the harvest.
50. Worshipers of Quetzalcoatl : AZTECS
The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl’s name mean “feathered serpent”.
53. “Arabian Nights” prince : AHMED
In the “Arabian Nights”, Prince Ahmed is noted for having a magic tent which would grow larger to shelter an army, and then grow small again so that it could fit into a pocket.
Nomar Garciaparra is one of only thirteen players to have hit two grand slams during a single game in the Majors. He accomplished the feat in 1999 for the Boston Red Sox against the Seattle Mariners.
59. Actress Garr or Hatcher : TERI
Teri Hatcher’s most famous role these days is as Susan Meyer in “Desperate Housewives”. I’ve never seen more than a few minutes of that show, but I do know Teri Hatcher as a Bond girl, as she appeared in “Tomorrow Never Dies”.
62. Dockworkers’ org. : ILA
The International Longshoremen’s Association.
65. Berne’s river : AAR
The Aar (also called the Aare in German) is a major river in Switzerland. A famous spot along the river is The Reichenbach Falls in the center of the country, actually a series of waterfalls near the city of Meiringen. The falls are celebrated in the world of literature as it was here that Sherlock Holmes fell to his supposed doom with his nemesis Professor Moriarty (in “The Adventure of the Final Problem”).
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “Horsefeathers!” : PSHAW
6. High in calories : RICH
10. “… three men in ___” : A TUB
14. Basra native : IRAQI
15. Witty Bombeck : ERMA
16. Situated by itself : LONE
17. Big name in orange juice : MINUTE MAID
19. Sousaphone, e.g. : TUBA
20. Bangladesh’s capital, old-style : DACCA
21. Prison “screw” : JAILER
23. Rocket interceptor, for short : ABM
25. Large gem in the Smithsonian : HOPE DIAMOND
28. Like a Jekyll/Hyde personality : DUAL
30. Sign at a sellout : SRO
31. Tirades : RANTS
32. Motherland, affectionately : OLD SOD
35. ___ contendere : NOLO
37. Kindly doctor’s asset : BEDSIDE MANNER
42. Gives the heave-ho : AXES
43. Pre-Russia intl. economic coalition : G-SEVEN
45. Chinese menu phrase : NO MSG
49. Second letter after epsilon : ETA
51. “Jesus ___” (shortest Bible verse) : WEPT
52. Common : A DIME A DOZEN
56. Japanese theater : NOH
57. Like kielbasa and pierogi : POLISH
58. Govt. security : T-NOTE
60. Pause in the action : LULL
61. Artwork using both paint and collage, e.g. … and a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters : MIXED MEDIA
66. Gen. Robert ___ : E LEE
67. A util. : ELEC
68. Resort isle near Venezuela : ARUBA
69. Fleet fleet, once, in brief : SSTS
70. Big name in root beer : DAD’S
71. More red, as a tomato : RIPER
Down
1. Milne’s absent-minded “Mr.” : PIM
2. ___ Lanka : SRI
3. Individually crafted : HANDMADE
4. Watery hue : AQUA
5. Halloween broom-rider : WITCH
6. Changes the boundaries of : REMAPS
7. Glass or Gershwin : IRA
8. 901, in old Rome : CMI
9. Pilgrim to Mecca : HADJI
10. Nissan model : ALTIMA
11. French port near Marseille : TOULON
12. Straight : UNBENT
13. Goat features : BEARDS
18. “Green” prefix : ECO-
22. ___ rod (tall-stemmed plant) : AARON’S
23. Foofaraw : ADO
24. Tulip or lily planting : BULB
26. Che Guevara’s real first name : ERNESTO
27. Tragic end : DOOM
29. Timothy Leary’s turn-on : LSD
33. Plains Indians : OSAGES
34. Twice cinq : DIX
36. Fall behind : LAG
38. Homeowner’s paper : DEED
39. Still in the crate : NEW
40. Tied, as a score : EVENED UP
41. Defaulter’s loss, informally : REPO
44. To the ___ degree : NTH
45. City near Mt. Vesuvius : NAPLES
46. Nonalcoholic beer brand : O’DOUL’S
47. French artist who painted “The Gleaners” : MILLET
48. Says “Cheese!” : SMILES
50. Worshipers of Quetzalcoatl : AZTECS
53. “Arabian Nights” prince : AHMED
54. Pull the plug on : END
55. Baseball’s Garciaparra : NOMAR
59. Actress Garr or Hatcher : TERI
62. Dockworkers’ org. : ILA
63. Marked, as a ballot : XED
64. “May ___ excused?” : I BE
65. Berne’s river : AAR