Quicklinks:
Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
CROSSWORD SETTER: Oliver Hill & Eliza Bagg
THEME: TRIPLE BONDS … each of the theme answers is comprised of three words, let’s call them A-B-C. The clue is also in three parts, with the first part of the clue referring to words A-B in the answer, the second part to words B-C, and the third part to words A-C. It’s easier to understand than it sounds, I think:
23A. Chinese restaurant offering / Wonderland affair / Group on the left? : GREEN/TEA/PARTY
GREEN TEA / TEA PARTY / GREEN PARTY
27A. Baltimore specialty / Effortless task / Move on all fours with the belly up : CRAB/CAKE/WALK
CRAB CAKE / CAKEWALK / CRAB WALK
43A. Plunging / Play hooky / Vulgar : LOW/CUT/CLASS
LOW CUT / CUT CLASS / LOW-CLASS
52A. Northern flier / Mixer maker / Put on the line : AIR/CANADA/DRY
AIR CANADA / CANADA DRY / AIR DRY
67A. Yellowish brown / Bit of “dumb” humor / Many a forwarded e-mail : DIRTY/BLONDE/JOKE
DIRTY BLONDE / BLONDE JOKE / DIRTY JOKE
87A. Cause of congestion / Detective’s challenge / Loony : HEAD/COLD/CASE
HEAD COLD / COLD CASE / HEADCASE
94A. Winnie-the-Pooh possession / Baked entree / Sweetie : HONEY/POT/PIE
HONEYPOT / POTPIE / HONEY PIE
106A. Fancy Feast product / Cafeteria outburst / “Mean Girls” event : CAT/FOOD/FIGHT
CAT FOOD / FOOD FIGHT / CAT FIGHT
119A. Democratic territory / Cardinal, e.g. / “Over the Rainbow” flier : BLUE/STATE/BIRD
BLUE STATE / STATE BIRD / BLUEBIRD
COMPLETION TIME: 28m 00s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Henry II player in “Becket” : O’TOOLE
Irish actor Peter O’Toole got his big break in movies when he played the title role in the 1962 epic film “Laurence of Arabia”. But my favorite of his movies is much lighter fare, “How to Steal a Million” in which he starred opposite Audrey Hepburn.
20. Suburb of San Diego : LA MESA
One of the most famous residents of La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, California, was the actor Dennis Hopper.
21. “Livin’ on a Prayer” band : BON JOVI
Jon Bon Jovi was born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., and he is the leader of the band that took his name, Bon Jovi.
26. Neo, for one : ANAGRAM
“Neo” is an anagram of “one”.
27. Baltimore specialty / Effortless task / Move on all fours with the belly up : CRAB/CAKE/WALK
CRAB CAKE / CAKEWALK / CRAB WALK
The Cakewalk is a dance that originated in the African American community from the “Prize Walk”, in the days of slavery. The Prize Walk was a procession in which couples “walked” with as much style as possible, with the intent of winning the big prize, a large cake. Our term “cakewalk”, meaning something easily accomplished, derives from this tradition. The expression “take the cake” has the same etymology.
Crab walking is a pretty exhausting exercise. It is a sideways walk in a squat position.
32. Ancient city NW of Carthage : UTICA
The ancient city of Utica lay northwest of Carthage, in modern-day Tunisia.
56. Lure : SIREN
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were seductive bird-women who lured men to their deaths with their song. When Odysseus sailed closed to the island home of the Sirens he wanted to hear their voices, but safely. He had his men plug their ears with beeswax, and then had himself tied to the mast with orders not to free him until they were safe. On hearing their song he begged to be let loose, but the soldiers just tightened his bonds and sailed away to safety.
59. “Up to ___,” 1952 game show : PAAR
Jack Paar was most famous as the host of “The Tonight Show”, from 1957 to 1962. Paar got his start on television as a comic on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, and hosting a game show called “Up to Paar” that aired in 1952. When he died in 2004, “Time” magazine wrote that Paar was “the fellow who split talk show history into two eras: Before Paar and Below Paar”. Very complimentary …
60. ___ Hunt, Tom Cruise’s character in “Mission: Impossible” : ETHAN
It was Tom Cruise’s idea to adapt the “Mission Impossible” television series for the big screen, and it became the first project for Cruise’s new production company.
63. Sénat vote : NON
The French Senate (Sénat) sometimes votes “yes” (oui) and sometimes “no” (non).
64. God of shepherds : PAN
Pan was the god of shepherds in Greek mythology, and lived in the rustic surroundings of Arcadia.
75. Time, in Torino : ORA
Turin (Torino in Italian) is a major city in the north of Italy, sitting on the Po River. Back in 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy was formed, Turin was chosen as the first capital of the country .
76. Indo-___ : ARYAN
The term Aryan can be used to describe the Indo-European languages or the peoples who speak them. The underlying assumption in this grouping is that Indian languages (based on Sanskrit) and the major European languages have the same root.
90. Style of chicken : SZECHWAN
Sichuan (also Szechwan) is a province in southwest China. It is noted for its cuisine, which is hot and spicy as it uses plenty of garlic, chili peppers and the Sichuan peppercorn. A famous Szechwan dish in the US is Kung Pao chicken.
102. Hero : HOAGY
Hoagy is another name for a submarine sandwich. The term “hoagy” (or hoagie) originated in Philadelphia, apparently introduced by Italians working in the shipyards during WWI. The shipyards were located on Hog Island, and the sandwich was first called the Hog Island, which became the hoagy.
“Hero” is another name for a submarine sandwich. The hero originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was first coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the New York Herald Tribune when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.
114. Hooded jackets : ANORAKS
Anoraks aren’t very popular over here in America. Everyone has one in Ireland! An anorak is a heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur (or fake fur), and is an invention of the Inuit people.
119. Democratic territory / Cardinal, e.g. / “Over the Rainbow” flier : BLUE/STATE/BIRD
BLUE STATE / STATE BIRD / BLUEBIRD
On political maps, red states are Republican, and blue states Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning, socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative, right-wing parties.
122. Biracial Latin American : MESTIZO
Mestizo is a term that was used by the colonial Spanish and Portuguese in South America, to describe people with mixed European and Amerindian ancestry. The word “mestizo” comes from the Latin “mixticius” meaning “mixed”.
123. “Ditto!” : I AGREE
“Ditto” was originally used in Italian (from Tuscan dialect) to avoid repetition of the names of months in a series of dates. It’s just another wonderful import from that lovely land …
124. 1966 best seller set in Hong Kong : TAI-PAN
“Tai-Pan” is a novel by James Clavell, the second in his famous “Asian Saga” suite of six titles. The six books are:
– “King Rat”
– “Tai-Pan”
– “Shōgun”
– “Noble House”
– “Whirlwind”
– “Gai-Jin”
128. “The Battleship Potemkin” setting : ODESSA
The Russian battleship Potemkin is perhaps more famous for an on-board rebellion than for any naval action. In 1905, the Potemkin was on firing exercises when the crew refused to eat meat that contained maggots. The second-in-command gathered the crew on the quarterdeck, and lined them up in front of armed marines. Fearing a mass execution, the crew rushed the marines and began the famous mutiny. The event was reconstructed in an equally famous film by Sergei Eisenstein called “The Battleship Potemkin”, a silent film released in 1925 that is considered by many to be greatest film of all time.
Down
1. Alternative to gov : ORG
The Internet addresses that end with the letters .org were originally intended for use by non-profit organizations, but as anyone can register a .org name, there are plenty of commercial concerns that use it … so be careful who you’re dealing with!
5. Cross-country skiing : LANGLAUF
Langlauf is another word for cross-country skiing, a German term meaning “long race”.
6. ___ deux âges (middle-aged: Fr.) : ENTRE
The French expression “entre deux âges” literally means “between two ages”, but is best translated as middle-aged.
7. John Wayne western, with “The” : ALAMO
Not only did John Wayne star in the 1960 epic movie “The Alamo”, he was also the director. Wayne was supposed to play the relatively minor role of Sam Houston, so that he could focus on what was his first major directorial job, but the film’s backers insisted that he take on the lead role of Davy Crockett.
9. Nickname for a seven-time N.B.A. All-Star : T-MAC
Tracy McGrady plays professional basketball for the Detroit Pistons.
14. Bean : CONK
The bean, the conk, the head …
16. “Brave New World” drug : SOMA
In Aldous Huxley’s 1931 masterpiece, “Brave New World”, the members of his future society are encouraged to partake of the drug called soma. The soma provides hangover-free escapes referred to as “holidays”.
22. Ashkenazi, for one : JEW
Ashkenazi Jews are those descended from medieval Jewish communities that lived along the River Rhine in Germany. Ashkenaz is the Hebrew name for this region, and has become the Hebrew name for Germany as a whole.
28. Polo locale : CATHAY
Cathay is an alternative English name for China, the anglicized version of “Catai”. Cathay is the name that Marco Polo used in his writings, and so it became an oft-used term in Europe.
30. New Deal inits. : NRA
The National Recovery Administration was one of the first agencies set up under President Roosevelt’s New Deal program. On the one hand the NRA help set minimum wages and maximum working hours for workers in industry, and on the other hand it helped set minimum prices for goods produced by companies. The NRA was very popular with the public, and businesses that didn’t opt to participate in the program found themselves boycotted. The NRA didn’t survive for long though, as after two years of operation it was deemed to be unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court and so it ceased operations in 1935.
32. They turn on hinges : ULNAE
The radius and ulna are bones in the forearm. If you hold the palm of your hand up in front of you, the radius is the bone on the “thumb-side” of the arm, and the ulna is the bone on the “pinkie-side”.
38. Reciprocal Fibonacci constant : PSI
Fibonacci was a famous and respected Italian mathematician.
The Fibonacci numbers are a sequence, with each number being the sum of the previous two:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 43 …
The Reciprocal Fibonacci Constant is the sum of the reciprocals of the Fibonacci numbers, and is denoted by the Greek letter psi:
1/1 + 1/1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/5 + 1/8 + 1/13 + 1/21 + 1/43 + …
44. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
The music for “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “tra-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in 19th century.
45. Black in a cowboy hat : CLINT
Clint Black is a country music singer. Black was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Texas.
46. “Sleigh Ride” composer Anderson : LEROY
“Sleigh Ride” is the signature tune of the Boston Pops Orchestra, which first recorded it in 1949. The tune was composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948.
48. Enero starts it : ANO
In Spanish, enero (January) is the first month of the año (year).
53. Cornelius who wrote “A Bridge Too Far” : RYAN
Cornelius Ryan’s book “A Bridge Too Far” tells of the failed Allied mission to break through German lines the the Netherlands in WWII, a mission known as Operation Market Garden. The book was the basis of a great war film released in 1977 under the same name. The impressive cast includes Dirk Bogarde, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman and many, many more big names.
69. Actress ___ Flynn Boyle : LARA
The actress Lara Flynn Boyle plays Donna Hayward on “Twin Peaks”, and the Helen Gamble on “The Practice”.
72. Gladly : LIEF
Lief means willingly, gladly.
77. Barks : YAWPS
Yawp is from the same root as yelp.
79. Yucatán youth : NENES
The Yucatán is one of Mexico’s 31 states, and is located in the east of the country, on the northern tip of the Yucatán peninsula.
82. “Treasure Island” inits. : RLS
Robert Louis Stevenson’s most celebrated work I’d say is “Treasure Island”, originally written as a series for a children’s magazine in 1881. I remember it as the first “real” novel I read as a youngster …
83. Words before any month’s name : IDES OF
There were three important days in each month of the old, Roman calendar. These days originally depended on the cycles of the moon, but were eventually “fixed” by law. Kalendae were the first days of each month, originally the days of the new moon. Nonae were originally the days of the half moon. And idus (the ides) was originally the day of the full moon, eventually fixed as the 15th day of the month. Well, actually the ides were the 15th day of March, May, July and October. For all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. Go figure …
84. Fortune profilees, for short : CEOS
“Fortune” is a business magazine, first published in 1930.
88. ___ bono (for whose benefit?: Lat.) : CUI
“Cui bono” is a Latin phrase meaning “to whose benefit, as a benefit to whom?”
89. “___ Bangs” (Ricky Martin hit) : SHE
Ricky Martin’s real name is Enrique Martin Morales, a native of Puerto Rico. He first achieved fame with the boy band Menudo before going solo in 1991. “She Bangs” was a hit from the year 2000 from Ricky Martin’s album “Sound Loaded”.
92. Bklyn. ___ : HTS
The part of the borough of Brooklyn known as Brooklyn Heights was the first commuter town for New York, blossoming when the a steam ferry service started to run between the Heights and Wall Street in the early 19th-century.
98. Outs : ALIBIS
“Alibi” is the Latin word for “elsewhere”, as in I was “elsewhere” when the crime was committed … I have an “alibi”.
101. One going into a drive : CD-ROM
CD-ROM stands for “compact disc read only memory”. That means you can read information from the disc (like a standard music CD for example), but you can’t write to it. You can buy a CD-RW, which stands for “compact disc – rewritable”, with which you can read data and also write over it multiple times if you have the right type of CD drive.
103. Hall’s partner : OATES
Daryl Hall & John Oates are a pop music duo, most successful in the late seventies and early eighties. They had six number one hits, including the 1982 release “Maneater”.
104. Santa ___ : ANA
Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California, taking its name from the Santa Ana River that runs through the city. The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because they are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, the air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls, it becomes drier and heats up, so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% as it hits the coast.
107. ___ plaisir : AVEC
“Avec plaisir” is the French for “with pleasure”.
110. Soulful Redding : OTIS
Otis Redding is often referred to as the “King of Soul”, and what a voice he had. Like so many of the greats in the world of popular music it seems, Redding was killed in a plane crash, in 1967 when he was just 26 years old. Just three days earlier he had recorded what was to be his biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”.
112. Venezuela’s Chávez : HUGO
Hugo Chávez is the President of Venezuela, and has been so since 1999. He has very much a socialist agenda, and once in power nationalized many of the country’s key industries. His socialism stretches to a very vocal opposition to capitalism, and so he hasn’t been a big supporter of US policies.
115. Rose’s beau : ABIE
“Abie’s Irish Rose” was originally a Broadway play by Anne Nichols that opened in 1922 and ran for over five years, at the time the longest run for any show in New York. The show then went on tour, and stayed on tour for an amazing 40 years.
116. ___ Bay (Manhattan area) : KIPS
The Kips Bay neighborhood in New York City is by the East River between Murray Hill and Gramercy Park. The area takes its name from a Dutch farmer that owned much of the land in the area, and who gave his name to a small bay in the river.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Henry II player in “Becket” : O’TOOLE
7. Something that might get a rise out of people? : ANTHEM
13. Clinch : ICE
16. Clinch, with “up” : SEW
19. Arrange again : REPLAN
20. Suburb of San Diego : LA MESA
21. “Livin’ on a Prayer” band : BON JOVI
23. Chinese restaurant offering / Wonderland affair / Group on the left? : GREEN/TEA/PARTY
GREEN TEA / TEA PARTY / GREEN PARTY
25. Indigenous : ENDEMIC
26. Neo, for one : ANAGRAM
27. Baltimore specialty / Effortless task / Move on all fours with the belly up : CRAB/CAKE/WALK
CRAB CAKE / CAKEWALK / CRAB WALK
29. Admit : LET ON
31. Skins, e.g. : TEAM
32. Ancient city NW of Carthage : UTICA
36. Most red, maybe : RIPEST
39. Firmly fixed : FAST
43. Plunging / Play hooky / Vulgar : LOW/CUT/CLASS
LOW CUT / CUT CLASS / LOW-CLASS
47. Scrunchies : HAIR TIES
51. Tip reducer? : NAIL FILE
52. Northern flier / Mixer maker / Put on the line : AIR/CANADA/DRY
AIR CANADA / CANADA DRY / AIR DRY
55. Buffoon : ASS
56. Lure : SIREN
58. Idiots : YOYOS
59. “Up to ___,” 1952 game show : PAAR
60. ___ Hunt, Tom Cruise’s character in “Mission: Impossible” : ETHAN
63. Sénat vote : NON
64. God of shepherds : PAN
65. Dials : CALLS
67. Yellowish brown / Bit of “dumb” humor / Many a forwarded e-mail : DIRTY/BLONDE/JOKE
DIRTY BLONDE / BLONDE JOKE / DIRTY JOKE
72. Hot cider server : LADLE
74. Seat for toddlers : LAP
75. Time, in Torino : ORA
76. Indo-___ : ARYAN
80. Item for a mason : TILE
81. Previous : PRIOR
84. Idiotic : CRAZY
86. Wonderment : AWE
87. Cause of congestion / Detective’s challenge / Loony : HEAD/COLD/CASE
HEAD COLD / COLD CASE / HEADCASE
90. Style of chicken : SZECHWAN
93. “Naturally!” : OF COURSE
94. Winnie-the-Pooh possession / Baked entree / Sweetie : HONEY/POT/PIE
HONEYPOT / POTPIE / HONEY PIE
96. Grow together : KNIT
97. Best to follow, as advice : SAGEST
100. Attention getters : PSSTS
101. It’s no good when it’s flat : COLA
102. Hero : HOAGY
106. Fancy Feast product / Cafeteria outburst / “Mean Girls” event : CAT/FOOD/FIGHT
CAT FOOD / FOOD FIGHT / CAT FIGHT
114. Hooded jackets : ANORAKS
118. ___ sunglasses : AVIATOR
119. Democratic territory / Cardinal, e.g. / “Over the Rainbow” flier : BLUE/STATE/BIRD
BLUE STATE / STATE BIRD / BLUEBIRD
122. Biracial Latin American : MESTIZO
123. “Ditto!” : I AGREE
124. 1966 best seller set in Hong Kong : TAI-PAN
125. See 126-Across : SCH
126. Half a 125-Across year: Abbr. : SEM
127. They might be crossed : SWORDS
128. “The Battleship Potemkin” setting : ODESSA
Down
1. Alternative to gov : ORG
2. Trillion: Prefix : TERA-
3. Word with French or U.S. : OPEN
4. Olive genus : OLEA
5. Cross-country skiing : LANGLAUF
6. ___ deux âges (middle-aged: Fr.) : ENTRE
7. John Wayne western, with “The” : ALAMO
8. Toddler’s need : NAP
9. Nickname for a seven-time N.B.A. All-Star : T-MAC
10. Frau’s partner : HERR
11. Billionaire’s home, maybe : ESTATE
12. Halfhearted R.S.V.P.’s : MAYBES
13. Letter-shaped support : I-BEAM
14. Bean : CONK
15. German finale : ENDE
16. “Brave New World” drug : SOMA
17. ___ eye : EVIL
18. Lit part : WICK
22. Ashkenazi, for one : JEW
24. Take in : EAT
28. Polo locale : CATHAY
30. New Deal inits. : NRA
32. They turn on hinges : ULNAE
33. A goner : TOAST
34. “If only!” : I WISH
35. Third-century year : CCL
37. “This ___ outrage!” : IS AN
38. Reciprocal Fibonacci constant : PSI
39. Bomb : FIASCO
40. Suffix with drunk : -ARD
41. Desk item : STAPLER
42. Kind of wave : TIDAL
44. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
45. Black in a cowboy hat : CLINT
46. “Sleigh Ride” composer Anderson : LEROY
48. Enero starts it : ANO
49. Times to remember : ERAS
50. Med. land : SYR
53. Cornelius who wrote “A Bridge Too Far” : RYAN
54. Creature worshiped by the Incas : CONDOR
57. As one : EN BLOC
61. Appended : ADDED ON
62. Zip : NIL
64. 101-Across, e.g. : POP
66. Alias initials : AKA
68. Bit of homework : REPORT
69. Actress ___ Flynn Boyle : LARA
70. Rub out : ERASE
71. Stimulating : JAZZY
72. Gladly : LIEF
73. Old cry of dismay : ALACK
77. Barks : YAWPS
78. Anticipate : AWAIT
79. Yucatán youth : NENES
80. Howe’er : THO’
82. “Treasure Island” inits. : RLS
83. Words before any month’s name : IDES OF
84. Fortune profilees, for short : CEOS
85. “Uh-huh” : YEP
88. ___ bono (for whose benefit?: Lat.) : CUI
89. “___ Bangs” (Ricky Martin hit) : SHE
91. Check, as text : COPYREAD
92. Bklyn. ___ : HTS
95. Kind of power, in math : NTH
98. Outs : ALIBIS
99. Speech blocker : GAG LAW
101. One going into a drive : CD-ROM
103. Hall’s partner : OATES
104. Santa ___ : ANA
105. Bugged : GOT TO
106. They take vids : CAMS
107. ___ plaisir : AVEC
108. “Oh, pooh!” : TISH
109. Butcher’s trimmings : FAT
110. Soulful Redding : OTIS
111. Slime : OOZE
112. Venezuela’s Chávez : HUGO
113. Colonial land: Abbr. : TERR
115. Rose’s beau : ABIE
116. ___ Bay (Manhattan area) : KIPS
117. Sp. titles : SRAS
120. But: Lat. : SED
121. Some evidence : DNA