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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: Joel Fagliano
THEME: Jr … the black squares spell out the letters JR, and all the theme answers are celebrities who are “Juniors”, who use the abbreviation “Jr” in their names:
4. Baseball star : KEN GRIFFEY
5. Jazz/pop singer : HARRY CONNICK
20. Actor : ROBERT DOWNEY
29. Singer/dancer/actor : SAMMY DAVIS
COMPLETION TIME: 17m 29s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. It’s bisected by the Missouri R. : S DAK
The state of South Dakota is bisected north to south by the Missouri River. One half of the state is known as East River and the other West River, and each has a contrasting history and geography. Most of the state’s residents live east of the river, having settled in that part of South Dakota known for its fertile soil. As a result, East river’s economy has historically been associated with agriculture, and the farming of corn and wheat. West River’s economy has been dependent on ranching and mining.
16. Bygone coins : LIRAS
The name “lira” is used in a number of countries for currency. It comes from the Latin word for a pound, and is derived from a British pound sterling, the value of a Troy pound of silver. The lira was the currency of choice in Italy before the change was made to the euro.
The advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes was officially known as “Old Joe”, but was popularly known as “Joe Camel”. Joe originated in the seventies, in an advertising campaign that ran only in Europe where he sometimes was depicted wearing a French Foreign Legion cap. He was imported to the US in 1988 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Camel brand. The big controversy surrounding the use of the camel character was that a 1991 study found that 5-6 year old children could recognize Joe Camel more readily than either Mickey Mouse or Fred Flintstone. Also, soon after Old Joe was introduced in the US, the Camel brand’s share of the illegal market to underage smokers went up from 1% to just under 33%.
20. One getting hit on at a party? : REEFER
Marijuana cigarettes have been known as “reefers” since the twenties. It is thought that the term comes from either the Mexican Spanish for a drug addict, “grifo”, or from its resemblance to a rolled sail i.e. a sail that has been “reefed”.
Odo is a character in the “Star Trek” spin-off “Deep Space Nine”. He is the chief of security on the space station and is a Changeling, meaning that he can assume any shape that he wishes. Odo is played by René Auberjonois, an actor you might remember as Father Mulcahy in the movie version of “M*A*S*H”.
24. Only bird with nostrils on the tip of its beak : KIWI
The kiwi is an unusual bird in that it has a highly developed sense of smell and is the only one of our feathered friends with nostrils located at the tip of its long beak.
27. Chocolate substitute : CAROB
The carob is a tree or shrub in the pea family, mainly grown for its seed pods. The carob seeds are dried or roasted, and when powdered or chipped make a good substitute for chocolate.
29. It has 10 sections : SAT
Today the standardized test for admission to colleges is known as the SAT Reasoning Test, but it used to be called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, which led to the acronym SAT.
33. Lime, e.g. : OXIDE
Calcium oxide is known colloquially as quicklime or burnt lime. The related calcium hydroxide is traditionally called slaked lime.
34. “A rabbi, a priest and a duck walk into ___ …” : A BAR
A rabbi, a priest and a duck walk into a bar, and the bartender says, “What is this? A joke?”
37. Third-longest river in Africa : NIGER
The principal river in western Africa is the Niger, running 2,600 miles through the continent. The river is unusual in that has a boomerang shape, taking a sharp turn around the the ancient city of Timbuktu.
“The Starry Night” is a Van Gogh masterpiece depicting what the artist could see from the window of his room in a sanitarium near the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. I am somewhat ashamed to note that one reason I know this painting so well is that I put together a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle last Christmas depicting “The Starry Night”.
40. “___ of kindness, however small, is wasted”: Aesop : NO ACT
Aesop lived in Ancient Greece, probably around the sixth century BC. Supposedly he was born a slave, somehow became a free man, but then met with a sorry end. He was sent to the city of Delphi on a diplomatic mission but insulted the Delphians instead. He was tried on a trumped-up charge of stealing from a temple, sentenced to death and was thrown off a cliff.
42. Islet : CAY
A key is a low island offshore (as in the Florida Keys), also known as a cay. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.
The TV show “CSI” gets a lot of criticism from law enforcement agencies for its unrealistic portrayal of the procedures and science of criminal investigation. I don’t care though, as I just think it’s a fun television. The original “CSI” set in Las Vegas seems to have “gone off the boil” lately, but the addition of Sela Ward to the cast of “CSI: NY” has really, really raised the level of the sister show set in New York City.
President Obama’s first name, Barack, is Swahili with roots in an old Arabic word meaning “blessed”. Barack was the President’s father’s name. His middle name is Hussein, an Arabic word meaning “good” or “handsome one”. Hussein was the name of the President’s grandfather on the paternal side. His surname, Obama, doesn’t really have a translation, but is common among the Luo tribe of Kenya.
57. Old Glory’s land, for short : US OF A
The first person to coin the phrase “Old Glory” with reference to the American flag was Captain William Driver, a ship master from Salem, Massachusetts. As he was leaving on an 1831 voyage aboard the brig Charles Doggett, he unfurled the American flag that he had just been given by a group of friends. As the flag caught the breeze he uttered the words, “Old Glory!”. That’s the story anyway. By the way, on that same voyage, Captain Driver rescued the famous mutineers of the HMS Bounty, when he found them on Pitcairn Island.
58. Figure in a 5-4 Supreme Court decision : SWING VOTE
The US Constitution doesn’t specify the size of the Supreme Court, but authorizes the Congress to the determine the number of justices. The court started with six justices in 1789, and the size of the bench grew with the size of the country and the number of judicial circuits. There were as many as ten justices from 1863, and in 1866 Congress passed a law that called for the next three justices not to be replaced when they retired. The court did get down to eight justices in 1867, but in 1869 a new law was passed setting the number of justices at nine, as it is today.
Down
The Spanish singer Julio Iglesias’s real name is Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva. He took up playing the guitar as a young man while recovering from a devastating car accident that injured his spinal cord. “Immediate” recovery took three years, but he still receives therapy for his weakened legs.
Ken Griffey, Jr. is noted as a home run hitter as well as a defensive player. In fact, Griffey is tied for the record for the most consecutive games with a home run.
5. Jazz/pop singer : HARRY CONNICK
Harry Connick, Jr. is one of those singers that has made a successful move into the world of acting. He had a recurring role on the sitcom “Will & Grace” from 2002 to 2006, playing Grace’s husband Dr. Leo Markus. His first acting job was in the excellent 1990 movie “Memphis Belle”, in which he did a great job playing a tail gunner with a peppy sense of humor. He played a similar role in 1996’s “Independence Day”.
6. Book after Joel : AMOS
Amos is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible.
The Constitution of the United States was adopted on September 17, 1787. There have been 27 amendments to the constitution, the first ten of which are collectively called the Bill of Rights. In essence the Bill of Rights limits the power of the Federal Government, and protects the rights of individuals. For example, the First Amendment states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
8. Verizon service : DSL
DSL originally stood for Digital Subscriber Loop, but is now accepted to mean (Asymmetric) Digital Subscriber Line. DSL is the technology that allows Internet service be delivered down the same telephone line as voice service, by separating the two into different frequency signals.
11. T.A., someday? : PROF
Some Teaching Assistants one day become professors.
13. North Sea feeder : YSER
The Yser originates in northern France and flows though Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser name is oft associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium, across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of its Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful, and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.
15. Mother Earth : GAEA
The Greek goddess personifying the earth was Gaea (meaning “land” or “earth” in Greek). The Roman equivalent goddess was Terra Mater, “Mother Earth”.
Robert Downey, Jr. is the son of the actor and director Robert Downey, Sr. Young Robert’s first on-screen role was in a movie his father directed called “Pound”, released in 1970 when he was just 5-years-old.
22. Paper tiger, e.g. : ORIGAMI
The word origami is derived from ori (folding) and kami (paper).
24. Architect Louis : KAHN
Louis Kahn was a celebrated architect based in Philadelphia. Among his list of works is the Yale University Art Gallery and the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York.
Isaac Hayes was a soul singer and songwriter. Hayes wrote the score for the 1971 film “Shaft”, and the enduring “Theme from ‘Shaft'” won him an Academy Award in 1972.
26. TV mother of Pebbles : WILMA
Pebbles is the daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone from the cartoon series “The Flintstones”. Pebbles gets her name from her mother, whose maiden name is Pebble.
Sammy Davis, Jr. began his career in entertainment with his father, as they were two members of the vaudeville act, the Will Mastin Trio. The trio, Mastin and the two Davis men, took a break in 1943 while Davis, Jr. served in the US Army, but got back together to perform after the war. The three men remained very close for their whole lives, and their bodies are even buried side-by-side in the Davis family tomb.
31. City known as the Big Guava : TAMPA
Tampa has been known as the Big Guava since the seventies. The term is imitative of New York’s “Big Apple”, and refers to the unsuccessful search for the reported wild guava trees that were once hoped to be the basis of a new industry for the area.
47. Stems, so to speak : LEGS
In US slang “legs” are called “stems”.
“Cars” is a 2006 animated feature from Pixar. The great cast of voice actors includes Paul Newman in his last movie role before he passed away in 2008.
56. Flying Cloud and Royale 8 : REOS
The REO Motor Company was founded by Ransom E. Olds (hence the name REO). The company made cars, trucks and buses, and was in business from 1905 to 1975 in Lansing, Michigan.
Wil Wheaton is the actor who grew up playing Ensign Crusher on the best of the “Star Trek” TV series, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. In recent years Wheaton has become a de facto spokesman for the so-called “geek” or “nerd” community via a weblog that he writes called “Wil Wheaton Dot Net“. He has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for years, and is also someone you’ll see at celebrity poker games on TV.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. It’s bisected by the Missouri R. : S DAK
5. Fatiguing : HARD
9. Drain : EMPTY
14. About half of many schedules : HOME GAMES
16. Bygone coins : LIRAS
17. Gambler’s jubilant cry : I’M ON A ROLL
18. Camel, e.g. : SMOKE
19. One area of corporate law : MERGERS
20. One getting hit on at a party? : REEFER
21. Beam : RAY
22. “Deep Space Nine” role : ODO
24. Only bird with nostrils on the tip of its beak : KIWI
27. Chocolate substitute : CAROB
29. It has 10 sections : SAT
32. “Yeah, right!” : AS IF
33. Lime, e.g. : OXIDE
34. “A rabbi, a priest and a duck walk into ___ …” : A BAR
36. Soccer period : HALF
37. Third-longest river in Africa : NIGER
38. Home to van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” in brief : MOMA
39. It may be assumed : NAME
40. “___ of kindness, however small, is wasted”: Aesop : NO ACT
41. Sportswriters’ picks, for short : MVPS
42. Islet : CAY
43. What this means in an e-mail: >:( : I’M MAD
44. “Couldn’t agree more” : YEAH
45. Series of grisly cases : CSI
46. No longer used : OLD
48. Presidential first name : BARACK
53. Knit pick? : SWEATER
57. Old Glory’s land, for short : US OF A
58. Figure in a 5-4 Supreme Court decision : SWING VOTE
60. Summer Olympics athlete : DIVER
61. Enters as a disorderly group : PILES INTO
62. Stays awake nights, maybe : STEWS
63. Associate : ALLY
64. Gets : SEES
Down
1. Thin wedge : SHIM
2. Nonrectangular part of a skyline : DOME
3. Theme for Julio Iglesias : AMOR
4. Baseball star : KEN GRIFFEY
5. Jazz/pop singer : HARRY CONNICK
6. Book after Joel : AMOS
7. First Amendment subj. : REL
8. Verizon service : DSL
9. Additionally : ELSE
10. Street performer : MIME
11. T.A., someday? : PROF
12. Bit of filming : TAKE
13. North Sea feeder : YSER
15. Mother Earth : GAEA
20. Actor : ROBERT DOWNEY
22. Paper tiger, e.g. : ORIGAMI
23. Twelve: Prefix : DODECA-
24. Architect Louis : KAHN
25. Deep-voiced Hayes : ISAAC
26. TV mother of Pebbles : WILMA
28. They’re universally accepted : AXIOMS
29. Singer/dancer/actor : SAMMY DAVIS
30. Over : ABOVE
31. City known as the Big Guava : TAMPA
35. Without consideration : RASH
47. Stems, so to speak : LEGS
48. Some brewskis : BUDS
49. ___ were : AS IT
50. Not stay put : ROVE
51. Not too many : A FEW
52. Hit 2006 Disney-Pixar film : CARS
53. Place for a potted plant : SILL
54. Timbre : TONE
55. Cigar’s end? : -ETTE
56. Flying Cloud and Royale 8 : REOS
58. Place for complimentary bathrobes : SPA
59. Actor Wheaton : WIL
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