0221-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 11, Monday

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The full solution to today’s crossword that appears in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ed Sessa
THEME: NSEW … each of the theme answers contains one of the four points of the compass:

– PHIN(EAS T) BARNUM
– UNITED (WE ST)AND
– GROS(S OUT H)UMOR
– HO(NOR TH)Y FATHER

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 50s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
The World According to Garp5. “The World According to ___” : GARP
John Irvine’s 1978 novel “The World According to Garp” is somewhat biographical. In fact, Irvine’s mother found parts of the novel difficult to read, recognizing elements of herself in Garp’s mother.

A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce14. Baldwin of “30 Rock” : ALEC
Alec is the oldest of the acting Baldwin brothers. I think his big break was playing Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in “The Hunt for Red October”, but thank goodness that role was taken over by Harrison Ford for the subsequent Jack Ryan movies. He is making a name for himself these days playing Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”, opposite Tina Fey.

15. Polish/German border river : ODER
The Oder rises in the Czech Republic, and forms just over a hundred miles of the border between Germany and Poland, before eventually emptying into the Baltic Sea.

16. Ink for a laser printer : TONER
The key features of a laser printer are that it uses plain paper, and produces quality text at high speed. Laser printers work by projecting a laser image of the printed page onto a rotating drum that is coated with photoconductors (material that becomes conductive when exposed to light). The part of the drum exposed to the laser carries a different charge than the unexposed areas. Dry ink (called toner) sticks to the unexposed areas due to electrostatic charge. The toner is then transferred to paper by contact and is fused to the paper with heat. So, that explains why paper coming out of a laser printer is warm, and sometimes powdery …

I Am Rosa Parks (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)17. Civil rights pioneer Parks : ROSA
Rosa Parks was a one of a few brave women in days gone by who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman. It was the stand taken by Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955 that sparked the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott. President Clinton presented Ms. Parks with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996. When she died in 2005, Rosa Parks became the first ever woman to have her body lie in honor in the US Capital Rotunda.

18. Game akin to bingo : KENO
The name “Keno” has French or Latin roots, with the French “quine” being a term for five winning numbers, and the Latin “quini” meaning “five each”. The game, however, originated in China. It was introduced to the West by Chinese immigrants who were working on the first Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.

19. Mountains in Chile : ANDES
The Andes is the longest, continuous chain of mountains in the world, running right down the length of the west coast of South America for about 4,300 miles. The highest peak in the Andes is Mt. Aconcagua, at an elevation of 22,841 feet. Interestingly, the peak of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest point on the Earth’s surface from the center of the planet, because of the equatorial “bulge” around the planet’s “waist”.

The Art of Money Getting - Golden Rules of Making Money20. He’s famous for the words “There’s a sucker born every minute” : PHINEAS T BARNUM
Phineas Taylor Barnum was one of the great American showmen, famous for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus. By some measures, Barnum was the first ever “show business” millionaire. Beyond the world of entertainment, Barnum was also a politician for a while and served two terms in the Connecticut legislature, and was mayor of the city of Bridgeport. Barnum was a very successful author as well. One of his most famous books was “The Humbugs of the World”, an exposé of deceptions in the world of entertainment. He was believer in illusions providing they gave value for money in terms of entertainment, but he had an intense dislike of fraudulent deception and came down hard on spiritualist mediums in particular.

23. “My Gal ___” : SAL
“My Gal Sal” is a song written by composer Paul Dresser. “My Gal Sal” is also the name of the movie recounting Dresser’s life made in 1942. It stars Victor Mature as Dresser, and Rita Hayworth as Sally “Sal” Elliott.

Mr. T: The Man With the Gold : An Autobiography of Mr. T24. Mohawked actor of “The A-Team” : MR T
Mr. T’s real name is Laurence Tureaud. He is famous for many things, including wearing excessive amounts of jewelry. He started this habit when he was working as a bouncer, wearing jewelry items that had been left by customers at a night club so that the items might be recognized and claimed. It was also as a bouncer that he adopted the name Mr. T. His catchphrase comes from the movie “Rocky III”. Before he goes up against Rocky Balboa, Mr. T says, “No, I don’t hate Balboa, but I pity the fool”. He parlayed the line into quite a bit of success. He had a reality TV show called “I Pity the Fool”, and produced a motivational video called “Be Somebody … or Be Somebody’s Fool!”.

25. Bay window : ORIEL
An oriel window is a bay window that projects from a wall, but does not reach all the way to the ground.

32. They: Fr. : ILS
“Ils” is the French for “they”, when not referring to feminine nouns.

33. Turner who led a slave rebellion : NAT
Nat Turner was a slave in Virginia who led a slave rebellion in 1831 that led to the deaths of over a hundred people, half white, half black. The 55 white deaths took place on the day of the rebellion as a growing mob of slaves traveled from house-to-house freeing fellow slaves but also killing any white people they came across; men, women and children. The rebellion was suppressed within two days by a white militia. Slaves involved in the rebellion were tried for insurrection and related crimes, and a total of 56 blacks were executed on suspicion of involvement in the uprising. In the aftermath, life for slaves became even more difficult as any freedoms that they had earned were largely curtailed.

Cheers: The Complete First Season42. “Cheers” setting : BAR
The wonderful sitcom “Cheers” ran for eleven seasons on NBC, from 1982 to 1993. It spawned an equally successful spin-off show “Frasier”, which also ran for eleven seasons and often featured guest appearances of characters from “Cheers”. The Cheers bar was styled on the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston (in which I’ve had a pint of Guinness!). The owner of the Bill & Finch cleverly agreed to the initial interior and exterior shots, charging only one dollar. Since then he has made millions from selling “Cheers” memorabilia, and also from increased trade.

43. Feature of many Judd Apatow films : GROSS OUT HUMOR
Judd Apatow is best known for producing the TV series “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared”. Not my cup of tea …

48. ___ New Guinea : PAPUA
Papua New Guinea is a country occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the western side of the island is part of Indonesia).

GREEN ACRES EDDIE ALBERT EVA GABOR 16X20 PHOTO50. A Gabor sister : EVA
Eva Gabor was the youngest of the Gabor sisters all three of whom were celebrated Holywood actresses and socialites (her siblings were Zsa-Zsa and Magda). The Gabor sisters were born in Budapest and immigrated to the United States separately, with Eva being the first to arrive. Eva broke into movies, but her most famous role was on the TV sitcom “Green Acres” in which she played the lovely character Lisa Douglas opposite Eddie Albert. One of Eva’s claims to fame is the unwitting promotion of the game called “Twister”, the sales of which was languishing in 1996. In an appearance on “The Tonight Show” she got on all fours and played the game with Johnny Carson. Sales took off immediately, and Twister became a huge hit.

53. 1971 Gay Talese title derived from one of the Ten Commandments : HONOR THY FATHER
Gay Talese is an American author, famous for his days as a journalist in the sixties at “The New York Times”. His 1971 book “Honor Thy Father” was a tale about the Bonnano crime family.

57. Simon & Garfunkel’s “___ Rock” : I AM A
“I Am a Rock” is a song written by Paul Simon and appearing on the Simon and Garfunkel album “Sounds of Silence”.

58. Mister, in Münster : HERR
Münster is a city in the northwestern part of Germany, in the Westphalia region. Münster is noted for being the most bicycle-friendly city in the country with almost 40% of all traffic in the city being bicyclists.

Lenin: A New Biography60. Ruler toppled by the Bolsheviks : CZAR
At the second party congress of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, a split developed. The faction with the most support was led by Vladimir Lenin, and as they were in the majority they became known as the “Bolsheviks”, derived from the Russian word for “more” or “majority”.

62. Alternative to Tic Tacs : CERTS
Certs was the first breath mint to be marketed nationally in the US, hitting the shelves in 1956. It’s called a mint, but it isn’t really as it contains no mint oil, but instead its famous ingredient “Retsyn”.

Tic Tacs aren’t American candy … they’re made by the Italian company Ferrero, and have been so since their introduction in 1969.

63. “Auld Lang ___” : SYNE
The song “Auld Lang Syne” is a staple at New Year’s Eve, the words of which were written by Scottish poet Robbie Burns.

Down
Don Ho - Greatest Hits2. Hi from Don Ho : ALOHA
Don Ho apparently had a pretty liberal arrangement with his wife. When he was touring with his two backing singers Pattie Swallie and Elizabeth Gevara, all three of them shared a room together. He had two children with each of his roommates, giving a total of ten kids including the six he had with his wife. The arrangement was quite open, it seems, with all ten kids visiting each other regularly. To each his own …

Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Ricky Lucy poster classic print - 11x17 custom fit with RichAndFramous Black 17 inch Poster Hangers3. 1950s-’60s TV studio : DESILU
As you would imagine, Desilu is a contraction of the names of the company’s owners, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. However, the name was first given to the couple’s ranch in Chatsworth, California. Desilu the production company ended up producing some great shows, including the original “Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible”.

4. Read, as a U.P.C. symbol : SCAN
The person behind the counter at the store might scan the Universal Price Code. The first UPC-marked item to get scanned in a store was on June 26, 1974, at 08:01 a.m. at Marsh’s supermarket in Troy, Ohio. It was a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum …

6. “___ Fideles” : ADESTE
The lovely hymn “Adeste Fideles” (aka “O Come All Ye Faithful”) was written by one John Francis Wade in the 13th century. Well, he wrote the original four verses, with four more verses being added over time.

9. Some old computers : ATARIS
In the early eighties, when Apple was introducing its revolutionary home computers, Atari adapted its gaming systems for use as desktop computers. They enjoyed a lot of success, although it was fleeting. At one point Atari was the fastest growing company in US history, but the company never really recovered from the video game crash of 1983.

11. Like a wave : UNDULANT
Something that is undulant resembles a wave.

22. Mars : Roman :: ___ : Greek : ARES
The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of blood-lust and slaughter.

30. Drunk’s affliction, for short : DTS
The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called Delirium Tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Logo Cut Out Decal38. Home of the N.F.L.’s Buccaneers : TAMPA
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976, along with the Seattle Seahawks, as an expansion team. The Bucs had a tough start in the NFL, losing their first 26 games. Things went better in the early eighties, before the team went through 14 consecutive losing seasons. Their luck changed again though, and they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.

Francisco Pizarro Portrait in Full Armor Giclee Poster Print, 18x2439. Pizarro’s gold : ORO
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro discovered the Incas in 1526, marking the beginning of the end for the ancient civilization, ravaged by the brutal Spanish colonists and by imported smallpox. The last leader of the Incas was Atahualpa. Pizarro staged a mock trial and then condemned Atahualpa to execution by burning. A Spanish friar intervened on behalf of the condemned man, as Atahualpa believed that if he was burned his soul would not move on to the afterlife. Pizarro, was kind enough to have Atahualpa garroted instead.

51. Jules who pioneered in science fiction : VERNE
Jules Verne really was a groundbreaking author. He pioneered the science fiction genre, writing about space travel, air travel and underwater travel, long before they were practical and proved feasible. Verne is the second most translated author of all time, with only Agatha Christie beating him out.

56. Toronto-based TV network : CBC
CBC is Canadian National Broadcasting, Canada’s national public radio and television broadcaster. In terms of financing and structure, CBC is akin to the BBC in Britain. But as commercial advertising is permitted, it perhaps more akin to RTE, the national broadcasting company in my homeland of Ireland.

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Fistfuls of money : WADS
5. “The World According to ___” : GARP
9. Mistreat : ABUSE
14. Baldwin of “30 Rock” : ALEC
15. Polish/German border river : ODER
16. Ink for a laser printer : TONER
17. Civil rights pioneer Parks : ROSA
18. Game akin to bingo : KENO
19. Mountains in Chile : ANDES
20. He’s famous for the words “There’s a sucker born every minute” : PHINEAS T BARNUM
23. “My Gal ___” : SAL
24. Mohawked actor of “The A-Team” : MR T
25. Bay window : ORIEL
26. Words of solidarity : UNITED WE STAND
31. Non-earthlings, for short : ETS
32. They: Fr. : ILS
33. Turner who led a slave rebellion : NAT
34. Flavorful citrus parts : ZESTS
37. Commercials : ADS
38. Carries : TOTES
40. “But is it ___?” : ART
41. Mil. command centers : HQS
42. “Cheers” setting : BAR
43. Feature of many Judd Apatow films : GROSS OUT HUMOR
48. ___ New Guinea : PAPUA
49. Paranormal letters : ESP
50. A Gabor sister : EVA
53. 1971 Gay Talese title derived from one of the Ten Commandments : HONOR THY FATHER
56. Tarp, e.g. : COVER
57. Simon & Garfunkel’s “___ Rock” : I AM A
58. Mister, in Münster : HERR
59. Fortunate, old-style : BLEST
60. Ruler toppled by the Bolsheviks : CZAR
61. “___ expert, but …” : I’M NO
62. Alternative to Tic Tacs : CERTS
63. “Auld Lang ___” : SYNE
64. Compass points (seen spelled out in 20-, 26-, 43- and 53-Across) : NSEW

Down
1. Gets bent out of shape : WARPS
2. Hi from Don Ho : ALOHA
3. 1950s-’60s TV studio : DESILU
4. Read, as a U.P.C. symbol : SCAN
5. Kiddie racers : GO KARTS
6. “___ Fideles” : ADESTE
7. Landlord’s check : RENT
8. Annual games for football’s elite : PRO BOWLS
9. Some old computers : ATARIS
10. Baby’s headgear : BONNET
11. Like a wave : UNDULANT
12. Appear : SEEM
13. Hosp. sites for dire cases : ERS
21. Gives off, as an odor : EMITS
22. Mars : Roman :: ___ : Greek : ARES
27. Human cannonball catcher : NET
28. Performed, biblically : DIDST
29. Scot’s refusal : NAE
30. Drunk’s affliction, for short : DTS
34. Move after a zig : ZAG
35. Make a wrong move : ERR
36. Pay a visit : STOP OVER
37. Water polo and synchronized swimming : AQUATICS
38. Home of the N.F.L.’s Buccaneers : TAMPA
39. Pizarro’s gold : ORO
41. 60 minutes : HOUR
42. Money for a trip across town, say : BUS FARE
44. Least batty : SANEST
45. Water polo and synchronized swimming : SPORTS
46. “Yo!” : HEY, MAN
47. Does more tailoring on, as a skirt : REHEMS
51. Jules who pioneered in science fiction : VERNE
52. –> or <– : ARROW 53. Puncture : HOLE 54. Having a bit of smog : HAZY 55. Skinny : THIN 56. Toronto-based TV network : CBC

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One thought on “0221-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 21 Feb 11, Monday”

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