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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
CROSSWORD SETTER: Gary Cee,
THEME: NO UNDERWEAR … there are four instances in the answer grid of the letters “NO” appearing under the letters “WEAR” (NO under-WEAR):
– (NO)TATE under (WE AR)E DEVO
– PHE(NO)L under (WEAR)Y
– (NO)TUS under (WEARIN’)
– GOLD PIA(NO) under I S(WEAR)
COMPLETION TIME: 35m 17s!!
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … INAPT (INEPT), ARIANA (ERIANA)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
“Glad to Be Unhappy” is a song from the Rodgers and Hart 1936 musical, “On Your Toes”. “On Your Toes” was remarkable in that it was the first Broadway musical to classical dance as part of the choreography (ballet features in the storyline), and it was the first to use jazz as part of the score.
9. Malapropos : INAPT
Something that is malapropos is out of place, inapt. The term comes from the French “mal à propos” meaning “badly suited to the purpose”.
14. Event starting at 2 a.m., maybe : RAVE
As you might imagine, I’ve never been to a rave, and don’t have one upcoming in my diary. And if they start at 2 a.m. then I’m unlikely ever to experience one. A rave is generally an all-night party featuring loud, electronically synthesized music usually played by a DJ, as opposed to a live band.
Ravi Shankar is perhaps the most famous virtuoso (to us Westerners) from the world of Indian classical music, and is noted for his sitar playing. Also, Shankar is the father of the beautiful pop singer Norah Jones.
Norah O’Donnell is the chief Washington correspondent for MSNBC. Along with her husband, restaurateur Geoff Tracy, O’Donnell published what sounds like an interesting cookbook in 2010, “Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler
20. End of a 1978 new-wave album title : WE ARE DEVO
Devo is a band from Akron, Ohio formed back in 1973. The band’s biggest hit is “Whip It” released in 1980.
24. Embalming chemical : PHENOL
Phenol is also known as carbolic acid. Phenol can be used as an embalming fluid, although more usually bodies are embalmed using formaldehyde. Injections of phenol were used extensively by the Nazis during the WWII particularly in concentration camps, as a means of execution.
Campari is an alcoholic beverage with a distinctive red flavor and a pleasant, yet bitter taste. It is a key ingredient in one of my favorite cocktails, an Americano (one part Campari, one part sweet vermouth and a dash of club soda).
30. QE2’s domain: Abbr. : ATL
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is usually known simply as the “QE2”. She was owned by Cunard and ran a transatlantic service between Southampton, England and New York, from 1969 until 2008 when she was retired. The plan was for her to be converted into a floating hotel to be located in Dubai, but now she is just sitting in a commercial port waiting on someone to rescue her.
31. Low jack? : PEON
A peon is a lowly worker with no real control over his/her working conditions. The word comes to English from Spanish where it has the same meaning.
The 1969 World Series featured the famed “Miracle Mets”, the New York Mets team that was victorious over the Baltimore Orioles in perhaps the greatest upset in World Series history.
43. Lötschberg Tunnel locale : ALP
The Lötschberg Tunnel in Switzerland is used by trains (not cars) passing between Kandersteg in the canton of Berne and Ferden in the canton of Valais.
46. Body of water named for an English explorer : ROSS SEA
The Ross Sea is a bay in the Southern Ocean of Antarctica. It was discovered by one James Ross in 1841. A more recent discovery, in the waters of the Ross Sea, was a 33 feet long giant squid, captured in 2007.
“The Wearing of the Green” is an Irish ballad that dates back to the Irish Rebellion of 1798. At that time it was a gesture of rebellion against British rule to wear shamrock in one’s hat. However, wearing of revolutionary insignia was a crime, punishable by hanging.
54. God of the south wind : NOTUS
In Greek mythology Eos is the goddess of the dawn. She lived at the edge of the ocean and would wake each morning to welcome her brother, Helios, the sun. Eos is also the mother of the four winds:
– Boreas … north wind
– Eurus … east wind
– Notus … south wind
– Zephyrus … west wind
Elvis Presley owned a piano that is covered in 24 carat gold leaf. In fact, it has gold leaf on the inside surfaces as well as the outside, so it looks like the piano was actually cast out of gold.
58. Muscovite prince known as “Moneybag” : IVAN I
Ivan I was the Prince of Moscow, nicknamed “Kalita” (“Moneybag”). He used his wealth well, giving loans to neighboring principalities. These cities got into so much debt that Ivan’s successors were eventually able to annex them.
59. Instrument for Johann Jacob Bach : OBOE
Johann Jacob Bach was the older brother of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was a composer and musician in his own right, and played the oboe, flute and maybe even the violin.
60. Shellac : DRUB
A drubbing is a beating, given either literally or figuratively. The term “drub” dates back in English to the 17th century when it was imported from the Arabic word for a beating, “darb”.
Nikon was founded in 1917, a merger of three companies making various optical devices. After the merger, the company’s main output was lenses (including the first lenses for Canon cameras, before Canon made their own). During the war, Nikon sales grew rapidly as they focused on equipment for the military including periscopes and bomb sights.
The House of Este is a princely dynasty in Europe. The House of Hanover that ruled Britain from 1714 to 1901 (when Queen Victoria died) was perhaps the most notable branch of the House of Este.
64. Cleaning, as if for military inspection : GI’ING
“To GI” is a slang verb, used to describe the thorough cleaning of say a barracks prior to a military inspection.
66. Storied loch : NESS
The Loch Ness monster has been talked about for centuries, but modern interest started in 1933 when a spate of sightings were reported that year. They don’t seem to have stopped since, with photographs really sparking the imagination.
Down
3. F.A.A. center : AVIATION
“Aviation” is the central word in “Federal Aviation Administration”.
The Federal Aviation Administration was set up in 1958 (as the Federal Aviation Agency). The agency was set up at that time largely in response to an increasing number of midair collisions. The worst of these disasters had taken place two years earlier over the Grand Canyon, a crash between two commercial passenger airplanes resulting in 128 fatalities.
4. Vampire ___ (fanged fish) : TETRA
The Payara is also known as the “vampire fish”, as it has two long fangs that protrude upwards from the bottom jaw. Paradoxically, the main part of the Payara’s diet is the so-called man-eating piranha.
7. Tel ___ : AVIV
The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv translates into “Spring Mound”, a name chosen in 1910.
Ariana Afghan Airlines was established in 1955, with 49% of the company being owned by Pan Am, although these days the airline is 100% owned by the Afghan government. Due to perceived safety issues, the Ariana was nicknamed “Scariana” in an article in “National Geographic”.
21. Abbr. for those who didn’t make the list : ETC
Et alii is the equivalent of et cetera, with et cetera being used in place of a list of objects, and et alii used for a list of names.
27. ___ vivendi : MODUS
Modus vivendi is a Latin expression translating literally as “way of living”. Modis vivendi implies that it is possible for two parties in dispute to reach an agreement, to find “a way to live with” those differences.
29. Buenos ___ : AIRES
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, located on the estuary of the Ria de la Plata. As a port city, the people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”).
Ear buds are headphones.
The characters in the cartoon series “Peanuts” were largely drawn from Charles Schultz’s own life, with shy and withdrawn Charlie Brown representing Schultz himself.
A strobe ball is a globe with strobe lights all around the surface. They’re commonly found in dance halls these days (apparently).
44. 10th-century pope interred at St. Peter’s Basilica : LEO VII
Leo VII was a reluctant Pope, effectively placed into the job by the monarch of Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, so that Alberic could retain control over the papacy.
45. New York governor before Spitzer : PATAKI
The first time I ever heard of politician George Pataki, believe it or not, was when I was on vacation in Ireland. I was visiting a local historian researching my family history when the gentleman helping me told me that he was working on the family tree of a candidate running for Governor of New York, George Pataki (the Irish vote must be important in New York!). It turns out that Pataki’s grandmother was from close to where I lived in Ireland. Fame is living down the road from where a politician’s grandmother came from …
47. Ducks for cover? : EIDERS
Eiders are large seaducks. Their down feathers are used to fill pillows and quilts, giving the name to the quilt called an “eiderdown”.
48. Guido Reni painting “Cleopatra With the ___” : ASP
Guido Reni was Italian painter, from Bologna. His work “Cleopatra with the Asp” is owned by the British Royal Family.
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a marvelously unique song in the pop repertoire, I think. It has a very appealing structure, with no chorus but three distinct parts and with three distinct “sounds”. The opening is truly a slow ballad, which morphs into an operatic middle section, ending with a really heavy, rock guitar conclusion. The song monopolized the number one slot in the UK charts for weeks in 1975/76, and make a comeback in 1996 when it appeared in the movie “Wayne’s World”. Great stuff …
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Zapper’s casualty : GNAT
5. Rodgers and Hart’s “___ to Be Unhappy” : GLAD
9. Malapropos : INAPT
14. Event starting at 2 a.m., maybe : RAVE
15. Shankar who played at the Concert for Bangladesh, 1971 : RAVI
16. Newswoman O’Donnell : NORAH
17. Pass over : OMIT
18. Blood-related : AKIN
19. Lit : AFIRE
20. End of a 1978 new-wave album title : WE ARE DEVO
22. Beat : WEARY
23. Mark up : NOTATE
24. Embalming chemical : PHENOL
25. Single at the beginning? : UNI-
26. Italian bitters : CAMPARI
30. QE2’s domain: Abbr. : ATL
31. Low jack? : PEON
33. Met’s 1969 World Series rival : ORIOLE
35. Fashion rule for the liberated … or one of four arrangements found literally in this puzzle : NO UNDERWEAR
39. Other half : SPOUSE
40. The “20” in “Drop and give me 20!” : REPS
43. Lötschberg Tunnel locale : ALP
46. Body of water named for an English explorer : ROSS SEA
49. Dithery, with “up” : HET
50. “The ___ o’ the Green” (old Irish ballad) : WEARIN’
52. “Really!” : I SWEAR
54. God of the south wind : NOTUS
55. Elvis instrument now in the Country Music Hall of Fame : GOLD PIANO
58. Muscovite prince known as “Moneybag” : IVAN I
59. Instrument for Johann Jacob Bach : OBOE
60. Shellac : DRUB
61. Word on a lens cap : NIKON
62. Hereabout : NEAR
63. House of ___ (European princely dynasty) : ESTE
64. Cleaning, as if for military inspection : GI’ING
65. Recess sites, at times : GYMS
66. Storied loch : NESS
Down
1. Big, now : GROWN UP
2. “Give me an example” : NAME ONE
3. F.A.A. center : AVIATION
4. Vampire ___ (fanged fish) : TETRA
5. Tops : GRADE A
6. It may be skimmed over : LAKE
7. Tel ___ : AVIV
8. Natural history museum exhibit, for short : DINO
9. Shortly : IN A WHILE
10. Apartment ad come-on : NO FEE
11. Afghanistan’s national airline : ARIANA
12. Quote by rote : PARROT
13. “___ never know” : THEY’LL
21. Abbr. for those who didn’t make the list : ETC
24. Ferry’s front : PROW
27. ___ vivendi : MODUS
28. Imperative in an automated telephone message : PRESS
29. Buenos ___ : AIRES
32. Directory listings: Abbr. : NOS
34. Bud’s place : EAR
36. Rebellion : UPRISING
37. XII, maybe : NOON
38. Run through : REHEARSE
41. Brown strip : PEANUTS
42. Balls at balls? : STROBES
43. Overhang : AWNING
44. 10th-century pope interred at St. Peter’s Basilica : LEO VII
45. New York governor before Spitzer : PATAKI
47. Ducks for cover? : EIDERS
48. Guido Reni painting “Cleopatra With the ___” : ASP
51. Ramble : RUN ON
53. Dilate : WIDEN
55. Sound heard at the end of “Bohemian Rhapsody” : GONG
56. Not rock the boat : OBEY
57. Gardener’s bagful : LOAM