0226-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 26 Feb 11, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Bob Peoples
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 51m 12s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … ORNIS (ORNUS), BIRLER (BURLER)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
A Teocalli in Mexico Giclee Poster Print by Paolo Fumagalli, 18x249. Group worshiping at a teocalli : AZTECS
A teocalli is a tiered pyramid with a temple at the very top. “Teocalli” is an Aztecan word meaning “God-house”.

19. Ham preserver? : ARK
Ham was the son of Noah. According to the Bible, Ham and his wife, Ne’elatama’uk, were aboard the ark.

Roe Deer, Young, UK Photographic Poster Print by Les Stocker, 12x1622. Some deer : ROES
Roe deer are found mainly in Europe. They would be the deer shown on television and in movies when Robin Hood was out hunting in Sherwood Forest.

24. Olympus rival : LEICA
Leica is a German optics company, famous for production of Leica cameras. The 1913 Leica was the first practical camera that could use 35mm film, a size chosen because it was already the standard for film used in motion pictures.

25. Big Red rivals : ELIS
Big Red is the nickname of the sports teams of Cornell University.

Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

28. Italian possessive adjective : SUA
“Sua” is “her” in Italian.

Franz Kafka29. Gregor’s sister in “The Metamorphosis” : GRETE
“The Metamorphosis” is the famous novella by Franz Kafka, regarded by many as one of the greatest pieces of short fiction written in the 20th century. The story tells of the metamorphosis of Gregor Samsa into a gigantic insect. His sister, Grete Samsa, becomes his caregiver.

30. Lager brand : AMSTEL
Amstel is a Dutch beer and brewery, founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. The brewery takes its name from the Amstel river which runs through the city.

Best of32. Band with the 1985 #1 hit “Broken Wings” : MR MISTER
Mr. Mister was a pop rock group that was big in the eighties. The band took its name from the record “Mr. Gone” by the Weather Report. The band used to make fun of the song calling it “Mister This”, “Mister That” and eventually “Mr. Mister”.

34. California river : EEL
The Eel River in California was named in 1850 by an explorer Josiah Gregg, after he made a trade with some Native Americans, swapping a frying pan for a large catch of eels.

Amtracs in Action - Armor No. 3142. Amphibious W.W. II vehicle : AMTRAC
Amtrac was the nick name given to the WWII vehicle known as the Landing Vehicle Tracked (or LVT). LVTs were developed to carry cargo between ship and shore, but were eventually used to transport assault troops and for fire support. The name “amtrak” is short for amphibious tractor.

47. Decorating do-overs, for short : RENOS
“Reno” is short for renovation.

50. Longtime classical music label : ERATO
Erato Records is a label that dates back to 1953, specializing in French classical music.

51. Class with many makeup exams?: Abbr. : ANAT
I guess the idea here is that students in an anatomy class often examine the the makeup of the human body.

52. Avifauna : ORNIS
Avifauna is the collective name for birds of a specific region. An older term for the same thing is “ornis”, which has the same root as “ornithology”.

55. “She’s as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of Nile” speaker : MRS MALAPROP
“The Rivals” is a play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, first performed in 1775. The character, Mrs. Malaprop, takes her name from her habit of misspeaking, to great comical effect. Malapropism is the substitution of a word for a word with a similar sound. For example, Mrs Malaprop says, “she’s as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile” (substituting allegory for alligator).

58. Documentarian Burns : RIC
Ric Burns is a documentary filmmaker, the younger brother of Ken Burns (who was behind “The Civil War”, “Baseball” and “The War”).

59. Potpourri collection : PETALS
The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but in used to mean “stew”. Over time the term evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

62. Many a homeowner : LIENEE
Many a homeowner has a mortgage payment, meaning that a consensual lien is in place, an arrangement between creditor and debtor.

Ed Wynn Mary Poppins Original 1964 (#A0017) Photo64. “The Diary of Anne Frank” Oscar nominee : ED WYNN
Ed Wynn was a comedian and actor, especially popular on his own radio show. He migrated to the small screen and the big screen, moving from comic to dramatic roles. His most noted film performance was in “The Diary of Anne Frank”, playing Albert Dussell, the dentist who hid from the Nazis with the Frank family. For this role Wynn was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Down
Yedi Houseware Classic Coffee and Tea Floral Espresso Cups and Saucers, Gold, Set of 62. Spot for a spot : TEAROOM
I guess the reference here is to the oft quoted English phrase “a spot of tea”. I’ve only ever heard that said in jest mind you …

4. Needing no script : OTC
Over the counter drugs don’t need a prescription.

5. Ace’s setting: Abbr. : USAF
A flying ace is an aviator who has shot down a number of enemy planes during combat. The qualifying number of kills seems to vary, but five is common. The first use of “ace” was during WWI when the French newspapers dubbed pilot Adolphe Pegoud “l’as” (French for “the ace”) when he shot down his fifth German plane.

8. Perfectly happy state : ELYSIUM
In Greek mythology Elysium was part of the Underworld where heroic and virtuous souls were laid to rest. Nowadays we use the word Elysium to mean a place or condition of ideal happiness, a Garden of Eden.

Crystal Tassel Epaulet Fabric Brooch (Catwalk - 2011)12. Fringe holder : EPAULET
Epaulet (or epaulette) comes from the French, and literally means “little shoulder”.

13. Certain red ore : CUPRITE
Cuprite is a copper ore, made from copper oxide. It is known as ruby copper due as it has a deep red color.

14. One-named fictional detective : SPENSER
Spenser is a character in a series of detective novels written by Robert B. Parker. He is always referred to simply as “Spenser”, his family name, and his first name is never revealed. Spenser is a private eye based in Boston, a similar character to Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. The character appears in the TV series “Spenser: For Hire”.

23. Inveterate brown-bagger : SOT
Our word “sot” comes from the Old English words “sott”, meaning a fool. The word “sot” started to be associated with alcohol, and not just foolery, in the late 1500s.

Lebanon Flag Polyester 3 ft. x 5 ft.31. Country with a tree on its flag: Abbr. : LEB
The Lebanese flag has two red stripes, one at the top and one at the bottom, designed to symbolize the blood that was shed in the cause of the country’s liberation. Between each red stripe is a white background that represents peace, as well as the snow on the Lebanese mountains. In the center of the flag is a green cedar tree, a reference to the cedars of Lebanon that are mentioned several times in the Bible.

33. Italian possessive adjective : MIA
“Mia” is the Italian for “my”.

35. Hydra’s neighbor : LIBRA
The constellation of Hydra is represented as a sea serpent, and is named for the Lernaean Hydra who was defeated by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labors.

The constellation of Libra is named for the scales held by the goddess of justice, the only sign of the zodiac that isn’t named for a living creature.

Signed Henreid, Paul 8x10 B&W Photo38. He played Laszlo in “Casablanca” : HENREID
Paul Henreid was an Austrian actor, most famous for playing Victor Laszlo (husband of Ilsa Lund played by Ingrid Bergman) in “Casablanca”.

43. Melodic bit : TRA
Tra-la-la …

49. Competitive lumberjack : BIRLER
Birling is name given to the log rolling event at a lumberjack competition. “Birl” is a Scottish word meaning to spin or twirl.

52. Cub reporter of comics : OLSEN
In the Superman stories, Jimmy Olsen is a photographer who works on the “Daily Planet” newspaper with Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

The Chrysler Building: Creating a New York Icon Day by Day56. Chrysler Building architect William Van ___ : ALEN
William Van Alen was an architect, most famous for leading the design of the Chrysler Building in New York City. When the building was complete, Van Alen sent his bill to Walter Chrysler, a standard fee of 6% of the construction cost. Van Alan hadn’t pre-negotiated his fee for the job, so payment was refused. Van Alan sued, won the case but his reputation was ruined by the litigation and he never designed another building.

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Glamorous, high-profile pair : IT COUPLE
9. Group worshiping at a teocalli : AZTECS
15. Make airtight, in a way : HEAT SEAL
16. Shut in : COOP UP
17. Light pop : EAR CANDY
18. Remove some strips from : UNTAPE
19. Ham preserver? : ARK
20. Red flag for the I.R.S. : FALSE RETURN
22. Some deer : ROES
24. Olympus rival : LEICA
25. Big Red rivals : ELIS
26. Goofballs : YOYOS
28. Italian possessive adjective : SUA
29. Gregor’s sister in “The Metamorphosis” : GRETE
30. Lager brand : AMSTEL
32. Band with the 1985 #1 hit “Broken Wings” : MR MISTER
34. California river : EEL
36. Not too sharp : DIM
37. Shoot for the stars : THINK BIG
42. Amphibious W.W. II vehicle : AMTRAC
47. Decorating do-overs, for short : RENOS
48. Pal : BUB
50. Longtime classical music label : ERATO
51. Class with many makeup exams?: Abbr. : ANAT
52. Avifauna : ORNIS
54. Routing aid: Abbr. : ATTN
55. “She’s as headstrong as an allegory on the banks of Nile” speaker : MRS MALAPROP
58. Documentarian Burns : RIC
59. Potpourri collection : PETALS
60. Ex : OLD FLAME
62. Many a homeowner : LIENEE
63. Having a flush : RED-FACED
64. “The Diary of Anne Frank” Oscar nominee : ED WYNN
65. Optician’s offer : TRY THESE

Down
1. “Amen, bro!” : I HEAR YA
2. Spot for a spot : TEAROOM
3. Set for driving : CAR KEYS
4. Needing no script : OTC
5. Ace’s setting: Abbr. : USAF
6. Like some laws : PENAL
7. Big dippers : LADLES
8. Perfectly happy state : ELYSIUM
9. Maker of the ZDX crossover : ACURA
10. Man-to-man alternative : ZONE
11. Is close to failure : TOTTERS
12. Fringe holder : EPAULET
13. Certain red ore : CUPRITE
14. One-named fictional detective : SPENSER
21. Wishes one can get on a PC? : E-CARD
23. Inveterate brown-bagger : SOT
27. Bird-dogs : SEEKS
29. Curt command : GIMME
31. Country with a tree on its flag: Abbr. : LEB
33. Italian possessive adjective : MIA
35. Hydra’s neighbor : LIBRA
37. Crush : TRAMPLE
38. He played Laszlo in “Casablanca” : HENREID
39. All anxious : IN A STEW
40. Two, say : NOT MANY
41. Opening for firing : GUN PORT
43. Melodic bit : TRA
44. Exhausting thing to run : RAT RACE
45. Intermittently : AT TIMES
46. Accept as valid : CONCEDE
49. Competitive lumberjack : BIRLER
52. Cub reporter of comics : OLSEN
53. Like some outfields : SODDY
56. Chrysler Building architect William Van ___ : ALEN
57. Indication of a dud : PFFT
61. ___-di-dah : LAH

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2 thoughts on “0226-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 26 Feb 11, Saturday”

  1. Hi Paddy,

    That's a good point! I suppose OTC is perhaps "text speak" for "off the cuff", and would apply to this clue. I took it the acronym to mean Over The Counter assuming that "script" referred to a "prescription".

    You could be right!

    Thanks for stopping by, Paddy.

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