0702-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 2 Jul 11, Saturday

QuickLinks: David Poole
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: None
COMPLETION TIME: 21m 47s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
9. Old Navy’s owner : THE GAP
Old Navy is a store brand founded and owned by The Gap. The name Old Navy was taken from the Old Navy Cafe in Paris.

Foghorn Leghorn and Friends15. Lingua di Livorno : ITALIANO
The language of Livorno (“lingua di Livorno”) is Italian (“Italiano”).

Livorno is a port city on the west coast of Italy. The city is often called “Leghorn” in English, and it gave its name to the leghorn breed of chicken, and by extension to the cartoon character known as Foghorn Leghorn.

16. Ford from long ago : MODEL A
The Ford Model A was the original car produced by the Ford Motor Company. The first production run lasted from 1903 to 1904, when it was replaced by the Model C. The name “Model A” was brought back in 1927, given to the successor to the Model T.

17. Home of minor-league baseball’s Sea Dogs : PORTLAND
The Portland Sea Dogs are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox, playing in Portland, Maine.

18. 23-Across representing a user : AVATAR
The Sanskrit word “avatar” describes the concept of a deity descending into earthly life and taking on a persona. It’s easy to see how in the world of “online presences” one might use the word avatar to describe one’s online identity.

20. Rte. through 17-Across : US ONE
US Route 1 runs from Fort Kent in Maine, right down to Key West in Florida.

22. It may be groove-billed : ANI
The tropical bird called the ani is related to the cuckoo, although it doesn’t go around robbing other birds’ nests like a cuckoo!

Ragu Pasta Sauce, Robusto, 7 Herb Tomato, 45 Ounce Bottles (Pack of 4)24. “Mama’s Special Garden” brand : RAGU
The Ragu brand of pasta sauce is owned by Unilever. The name “Ragu” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is off a little. In Italian the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the Unilever sauce, it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

SSG / BSN Heavy-Duty Anti-Whip Basketball Net27. March Madness souvenir : NET
March Madness is the name given to (among others) the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Championship, held in spring each year.

28. Literature’s Dolores Haze, familiarly : LOLITA
Vladimir Nabokov’s novel “Lolita” has a famously controversial storyline, dealing with a middle-aged man’s obsession and sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl. Although “Lolita” is considered a classic today, after Nabokov finished it in 1953 the edgy subject matter made it impossible for him to find a publisher in the US (where Nabokov lived). In 1955, he resorted to publishing it in English at a printing house in Paris. Publication was followed by bans and seizures all over Europe. A US publisher finally took on the project in 1958, by which time the title had such a reputation that it sold exceptionally quickly. It became the first book since “Gone with the Wind” to sell over 100,000 copies in its first three weeks in the stores.

30. Most arias : SOLI
“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.

31. 38-Down, to a 14-Down : SES
“Ses” is the French word for “his”, “her” or “its”, when referring to a group of items.

32. Drive in N.Y.C. : FDR
The full name of FDR Drive in New York City is the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive. It is a parkway that runs along the East River for almost ten miles through Manhattan. A large portion of the road was built on rubble that came from Bristol, England during WWII. The rubble from the bombed city was loaded onto ships as ballast before they returned to the US after having delivered war supplies to England.

34. Oppose authority : STICK IT TO THE MAN
“The Man” is a slang term used for an authority figure. It might be used to refer to corporate leadership, or perhaps the government. The phrase “stick it to the man” means to resist authority, to fight back.

Washington Nationals Full Size Helmet 3M Decal Sticker40. Giant rival, briefly : NAT
The Washington Nationals baseball team started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005, becoming the Nats. There are only two National Leagues teams that have never played in a World Series. One is the Mariners, and the other the Nats.

45. Stat on some guns : MPH
The muzzle velocity of a gun might be measured in miles per hour (mph).

48. Casino winner, often : HOUSE
The “casino” originated in the 1700s, first describing a public room for music or dancing. The name “casino” is a diminutive of “casa” meaning “house”.

50. Man ___ : O’WAR
The man-o’-war was the most powerful design of warship from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, developed in England at the height of the British Empire.

51. Driver’s alert : FORE
No one seems to know for sure where the term “fore!” comes from. It has been used at least as far back as 1881, and has always been called out to warn other golfers that a wayward ball might be heading their way. My favorite possibility for its origin is that it is a contraction of the Gaelic warning cry “Faugh a Ballach!” (clear the way!) which is still called out in the sport of road bowling, a game where players bowl balls along roads between villages, trying to do reach the end of the course in as few bowls as possible, just like in golf!

52. Like “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” : IN E
Antonio Vivaldi was one of the great composers of the Baroque period. He achieved fame and success within in his own lifetime, notoriety that faded soon after he died. His music has reemerged in recent decades and I am sure everyone is familiar with at least part of his most famous composition, the violin concerto called “The Four Seasons”. Vivaldi was nicknamed “The Red Priest” because he was indeed a priest, and he had red hair.

55. Where Paul and Silas were sent, in Acts : BEREA
The city of Berea mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles is known today as Veria. Veria is in modern-day Greece.

Sinbad - Afros & Bellbottoms56. Stage name of entertainer David Adkins : SINBAD
Sinbad is the stage name of the stand-up comedian and actor David Adkins.

Let's Get It Started58. Stage name of entertainer Stanley Burrell : MC HAMMER
Rapper MC Hammer (aka Hammer and Hammertime) was born Stanley Kirk Burrell, and was very popular in the 80s and 90s. Being around that early, MC Hammer is considered to be one of the forefathers of rap. Nowadays, MC Hammer is a preacher, and uses the initials MC to stand for “Man of Christ”.

61. Chemistry Web site? : EHARMONY
eHarmony is a high-profile online dating service based in Pasadena, California.

62. Faulkner family name : SNOPES
The author William Faulkner wrote a trilogy of novels that featured the Snopes family. The three titles are “The Hamlet”, “The Town” and “The Mansion”.

Down
Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras4. Singer at Diana’s funeral : ELTON
Diana, Princess of Wales was a close friend of the English singer Elton John. At the princess’s funeral, Elton John performed a revised version of his song “Candle in the Wind” to honor his departed friend. The song was released as a single under the name “Candle in the Wind 1997” It became the fastest and best-selling song of all time, and remains the only single ever to be “certified diamond” in the US.

5. Streamlet : RILL
Rill, meaning a small brook or rivulet, has German roots, the same roots as “Rhine”, the name of the major European river.

9. Bootlegger’s bugbear : T-MAN
A T-man is a law-enforcement agent of the US Treasury.

11. Writer LeShan : EDA
Eda LeShan wrote “When Your Child Drives You Crazy”, and was host of the television show “How Do Your Children Grow?” on PBS.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed13. “The Four Seasons” director : ALAN ALDA
“The Four Seasons” is a wonderful film from 1981 directed by Alan Alda, staring Alda alongside Carol Burnett. The Alda family was further represented in the cast, as two of Alan Alda’s daughters also made appearances.

Bernardel Rosin for Violin Viola or Cello - Amber24. Violinists’ cake ingredients : ROSINS
Rosin is a solid form of resin derived from plant sources. It is formed into cakes that players of stringed instruments use to rub along the hairs of their bows to help improve sound quality.

26. Some nonnative Hawaiians : ISSEI
There are some very specific terms used to describe the children born to Japanese immigrants in their new country. The immigrants themselves are known as “Issei”. “Nisei” are second generation Japanese, “Sansei” the third generation (grandchildren of the immigrant), and “Yonsei” are fourth generation.

28. Coin whose original portrait was Alexander the Great : LEK
The official currency of Albania is called the lek. The first lek was introduced in 1926, and was apparently named after Alexander the Great.

Elvis Presley: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)31. Most Prestwick Airport patrons : SCOTS
Prestwick Airport is located just over 30 miles from the city of Glasgow in Scotland. Elvis Presley landed in Prestwick in 1960 on a US Army transport that refuelled there. The locals are very proud of the fact that this was the only time Elvis Presley ever set foot in the UK.

34. Fallacious reasoners : SOPHISTS
A sophist is someone who engages in devious argument. Originally “sophist” described a wise or learned person, but over time it has become a term of contempt. Our word “sophisticate” comes from the same Greek root.

35. It has unbelievable news : THE ONION
“The Onion” is a satirical news network, with a print newspaper and a heavy online presence. “The Onion” newspaper was founded by two college students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988. The founders sold the operation a year later for about $20,000. The paper grew steadily until 1996 when it began to publish online and really took off. I think it’s worth a tad more than $20,000 today …

37. Kings Beach sits on it : TAHOE
Lake Tahoe is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains right on the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the country. It’s also the second deepest lake, with only the beautiful Crater Lake in Oregon being deeper. Given its location, there are tall casinos that sit right on the shore on the Nevada side of the state line where gambling is legal.

Personalized Bath Towel Set - His and Hers Design38. Embroidered word, at times : HIS
The word’s “his” and “hers” are often embroidered on sets of towels.

44. Vaquero’s charge : RANCHO
“Vaquero” is the Spanish word for a “cowboy”.

Discourses of Brigham Young45. Young follower : MORMON
Brigham Young was the second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints. Young believed in and practiced polygamy, so he has a large family of descendants. One of his more famous great-great-great-grandsons is Steve Young, the retired quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

51. Bonne ___ (cooked simply) : FEMME
The French term “bonne femme” translates literally as “good woman”. Something cooked “bonne femme” is simply prepared, plain “home cooking”.  There is also an idiom “conte de bonne femme”, which we would translate as “old wives’ tale”, literally “the tale of the good woman”.

54. 13th, at times : IDES
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 …

Jimmy Carter 39th President of the United States Photo Great Americans Photos 8x1057. Like Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter: Abbr. : BAP
Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are both Baptists.

59. ___ characters (common Chinese writing) : HAN
In Chinese writing the symbols known as Han characters make up the oldest continuously used writing system in the world.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Makeshift mask : PAPER BAG
9. Old Navy’s owner : THE GAP
15. Lingua di Livorno : ITALIANO
16. Ford from long ago : MODEL A
17. Home of minor-league baseball’s Sea Dogs : PORTLAND
18. 23-Across representing a user : AVATAR
19. Join : ENROL
20. Rte. through 17-Across : US ONE
22. It may be groove-billed : ANI
23. Desktop item : ICON
24. “Mama’s Special Garden” brand : RAGU
25. Old Maltese money : LIRAS
27. March Madness souvenir : NET
28. Literature’s Dolores Haze, familiarly : LOLITA
30. Most arias : SOLI
31. 38-Down, to a 14-Down : SES
32. Drive in N.Y.C. : FDR
33. What may appear after washing or baking : SODA
34. Oppose authority : STICK IT TO THE MAN
39. Reaction to bad news : OH NO
40. Giant rival, briefly : NAT
41. Tag for some grandchildren : III
42. Kept in : PENT
43. Patrol boats patrol them : SHORES
45. Stat on some guns : MPH
48. Casino winner, often : HOUSE
50. Man ___ : O’WAR
51. Driver’s alert : FORE
52. Like “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” : IN E
53. Use as a crash site? : LIE ON
55. Where Paul and Silas were sent, in Acts : BEREA
56. Stage name of entertainer David Adkins : SINBAD
58. Stage name of entertainer Stanley Burrell : MC HAMMER
60. Yet : TO DATE
61. Chemistry Web site? : EHARMONY
62. Faulkner family name : SNOPES
63. “Don’t believe it for a second” : NONSENSE

Down
1. Supply, as elevator music : PIPE IN
2. Straightaway : AT ONCE
3. Ape : PARROT
4. Singer at Diana’s funeral : ELTON
5. Streamlet : RILL
6. Cry of shear fear? : BAA
7. Tomato or pea, e.g. : ANNUAL
8. Don Juan’s self-description : GOD’S GIFT TO WOMEN
9. Bootlegger’s bugbear : T-MAN
10. Dumpy dwelling : HOVEL
11. Writer LeShan : EDA
12. Cry to the overly amorous : GET A ROOM
13. “The Four Seasons” director : ALAN ALDA
14. Métro area resident : PARISIAN
21. One-up : OUTDO
24. Violinists’ cake ingredients : ROSINS
26. Some nonnative Hawaiians : ISSEI
28. Coin whose original portrait was Alexander the Great : LEK
29. More affected : ARTIER
31. Most Prestwick Airport patrons : SCOTS
34. Fallacious reasoners : SOPHISTS
35. It has unbelievable news : THE ONION
36. Part of many a smear campaign : INNUENDO
37. Kings Beach sits on it : TAHOE
38. Embroidered word, at times : HIS
44. Vaquero’s charge : RANCHO
45. Young follower : MORMON
46. Runs a bill through : PREENS
47. Cry for attention : HEAR YE
49. Really pick up : ELATE
51. Bonne ___ (cooked simply) : FEMME
54. 13th, at times : IDES
55. Spots for shots : BARS
57. Like Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter: Abbr. : BAP
59. ___ characters (common Chinese writing) : HAN

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2 thoughts on “0702-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 2 Jul 11, Saturday”

  1. for Joel Fagliano – Bonne Femme does not mean only "good woman" in idiomatic French – it means "in the style of" a homemaker or housewife, therefore. simply cooked.

  2. Hi there,

    Re FEMME
    Thanks for pointing out something I left out in the comment about the phrase "bonne femme". I should have noted the literal translation as "good woman".

    The comment I made (looking back) doesn't seem to make much sense! I was moving too quickly last night, so will have to correct it. I was referring to the French idiom "conte de bonne femme" which is usually translated as "old wives' tale".

    Thanks for stopping by!

Comments are closed.