1126-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 26 Nov 11, Saturday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
15. Target of criticism in Vincent Bugliosi’s 1996 book “Outrage” : LANCE ITO
Judge Lance Ito came in for a lot of criticism for his handling of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. The lead prosecutor in that trial was Marcia Clark, you might recall. I read her book “Without a Doubt” a few years ago, and she pointed out one trait of Judge Ito that I think is quite telling. Ito would almost always refer to the prosecutor as “Marcia”, while addressing the men on both sides of the case as “Mister”.

Vincent Bugliosi is an attorney and author, best-known in the courtroom for having prosecuted Charles Manson. One of his books was called “Outrage”, a 1996 publication in which he criticized almost everyone involved in the prosecution of O.J. Simpson.

16. Singer of the #1 country hit “Forever and Ever, Amen” : TRAVIS
“Forever and Ever, Amen” is a hit recorded by country artist Randy Travis in 1987.

17. Sambuca flavorers : ANISEEDS
Sambuca is an Italian liqueur that is flavored with anise. It is often served straight up with three coffee beans floating on the surface. The beans are said to represent health, happiness and prosperity. A more “saucy” representation for the beans is the husband, wife and mistress.

18. Two of the three gifts of the Magi : RESINS
Frankincense and myrrh are both tree resins, exuded when certain species of tree are damaged. The harvested resins are used to make essentials oils for perfumes, and are also burned to give off a pleasant fragrance.

“Magi” is the plural of the Latin word “magus”, a term applied to someone who was able to read the stars. Hence, magi is commonly used with reference to the “wise men from the East” who followed the star and visited Jesus soon after he was born.

19. “The Mod Squad” studio : MGM
The 1999 movie “The Mod Squad” is an adaptation of the television show of the same name.

20. Some discount beneficiaries: Abbr. : SRS
We seniors sometimes get discounts.

24. Burmese, e.g. : BREED
Most Burmese cats today can be traced back to a single ancestor, a female cat given the name Wong Mau that was brought from Burma to America in 1930. Amazing …

28. Rich, in slang : OOFY
“Oofy” is British slang for “wealthy, rich”. The term turns up a lot of P.G. Wodehouse books. “Oofy” does have a “Jeeves and Wooster” ring to it, doesn’t it?

29. 18th-century London political/literary establishment : KIT-CAT CLUB
The Kit-Cat Club was a club in London in the early 18th century. The members had a common interest in furthering the political agenda of the Whig parliamentary party. The club apparently got its name from the “Kit Kats” that were produced in the tavern where the members first met. Kit Kats were mutton pies.

32. Airport inits. : TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was of course created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks.

33. Big nothings : CIPHERS
The word “cipher” can be used for a person with no influence, a nonentity. The term comes from the Arabic “sifr” meaning “zero”. So, a cipher is a big nothing.

34. Suffix in the world of collectibles : -ANA
An ana (or plural anas) is a collection, including literature, that represent the character of a particular place or a person. Ana can be used as a noun, or as a suffix.

35. “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” frontman : HERB ALPERT
“Whipped Cream & Other Delights” is an album recorded in 1965 by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.

Herb Alpert still plays the trumpet today, but he is also a talented painter and sculptor. His works are seen regularly in exhibitions all around the world.

37. Answer that’s an example of itself : ABBR
Abbr. is an abbreviation for “abbreviation”!

38. Ghosts often work on them : MEMOIRS
Memoirs are often written by ghost writers.

40. Teegarden of TV’s “Friday Night Lights” : AIMEE
Aimee Teegarden is an actress famous for appearing in the TV series “Friday Night Lights”.

41. Company that introduced Dramamine : SEARLE
Dramamine is a brand name for dimenhydrinate, a drug used to counteract motion sickness.

42. Brickyard legend : AL UNSER
The Unser family seems to have racing cars in its blood. Al Unser, Sr. won the Indy 500 four times. Al’s brother, Jerry, was the first of the Unsers to compete at Indianapolis. Al’s other brother, Bobby, won the Indy three times. Al’s son, Al Junior, won the Indy twice. Al Junior’s son is also a racing driver who competes at the Indy Speedway.

45. Half-___ (coffee order) : CAF
The term “half-caf” is used to specify a 50-50 mixture of regular and decaffeinated coffee.

47. Bouillabaisse fish : TURBOT
Turbot is an asymmetric flatfish with eyes on its upper, left side. Some turbot can grow to be very large, up to 55 pounds in weight.

51. Show a milky shimmer : OPALESCE
An opal is often described as having a milky iridescence, known as “opalescence”.

Down
1. Bouillabaisse base, sometimes : CLAM BROTH
Bouillabaisse is a traditional seafood stew that originated in the port city of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast of France.

3. Napoleon is a commander in it : ANIMAL FARM
“Animal Farm” is the 1945 novella written by George Orwell, a satire of life in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. Orwell had trouble getting his novel published in his homeland of the UK during WWII, as anti-Soviet literature wasn’t a good thing to publish while the UK and USSR were on the same side of a World War. In fact, one publisher who was willing to distribute the book changed his mind after being warned off by the British Ministry of Information. Given his experiences, I find it interesting that Orwell should write “Nineteen Eight-Four” a few years later, and introduce the world to Big Brother.

5. Candy brand : REESE’S
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett “H.B.” Reese. Peanut Butter Cups were originally called penny cups, reflecting the price at which they were sold. Then inflation took over, and maybe that’s why they were broken into smaller “pieces” …

6. Stands for viewings : BIERS
Biers are the special stands on which one rests a coffin for a service, or perhaps if the corpse is to lie in state. A bier may have wheels on it so that it can be used to transport the coffin to the graveside. The original biers were just flat pieces of wood on which the body was placed, covered with a shroud. Nowadays, we place the body in a casket, and then onto the biers.

7. Some itinerary data, briefly : ETDS
Estimated times of departure.

8. Heading for the first of two columns : DOS
Dos and don’ts.

11. Like some Jewish dynasties : HASIDIC
The Hasidic Jewish movement was founded in the 18th century by Baal Shem Tov, a mystical rabbi from Eastern Europe.

12. One of the Wilcoxes in “Howards End” : EVIE
“Howards End” was written by E. M. Forster. Emma Thompson won an Oscar for her part in the excellent 1992 film adaptation.

14. Ab ___ (absent: Lat.) : ESSE
“Ab esse” translates from Latin as to be (esse) away (ab).

23. Wearer of una corona : REY
In Spanish, a king (rey) might wear a crown (una corona).

27. Trick-taking game : KLABERJASS
Klaberjass is a card game also known as Bela. It is very popular in Jewish communities, and is thought to have originated in Northern Europe.

29. One of about five in a league : KILOMETER
The league is an old unit of length. Originally it was defined as the distance a horse or a person could walk in an hour, and so is equivalent to about three miles.

33. Knickers go-with : CAMISOLE
A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English, which ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

41. Mélange : SALAD
“Mélange” is the French word for “mixture”.

The term “salad” can be used to simply mean “mixture”.

43. Figure in plane geometry : LUNE
By definition a “lune” is a figure formed by the intersection of two arcs of two circles. Such an intersection creates the shape of a crescent moon. The name “lune” comes from the Latin word for the moon, “luna”.

44. Bear aloft? : URSA
The constellation called Ursa Major (Latin for “Larger Bear”) is often just called the Big Dipper because of its resemblance to a ladle, or dipper. Ursa Major also resembles a plow, and that’s what we usually call it back in Ireland, the “plough”.

45. Bullfighting cloak : CAPA
“Capa” is the Spanish for “cloak”.

48. Tactic against a net rusher : LOB
In say tennis, a player who rushes the net can be sent back by throwing up a lob that goes over his or her head.

49. Fender of Fender guitars : LEO
The company that made Fender electric guitars was founded in Fullerton, California in 1946 by Leo Fender.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. What might unfold when you have guests : CHAIR-BED
9. Area : SPHERE
15. Target of criticism in Vincent Bugliosi’s 1996 book “Outrage” : LANCE ITO
16. Singer of the #1 country hit “Forever and Ever, Amen” : TRAVIS
17. Sambuca flavorers : ANISEEDS
18. Two of the three gifts of the Magi : RESINS
19. “The Mod Squad” studio : MGM
20. Some discount beneficiaries: Abbr. : SRS
21. Swarm : BESIEGE
22. Traffic jam din : BLARES
24. Burmese, e.g. : BREED
25. They’re filled before shooting : ROLES
26. Unlikely hoarder : NEATNIK
28. Rich, in slang : OOFY
29. 18th-century London political/literary establishment : KIT-CAT CLUB
32. Airport inits. : TSA
33. Big nothings : CIPHERS
34. Suffix in the world of collectibles : -ANA
35. “Whipped Cream & Other Delights” frontman : HERB ALPERT
37. Answer that’s an example of itself : ABBR
38. Ghosts often work on them : MEMOIRS
39. Rural call : BLEAT
40. Teegarden of TV’s “Friday Night Lights” : AIMEE
41. Company that introduced Dramamine : SEARLE
42. Brickyard legend : AL UNSER
45. Half-___ (coffee order) : CAF
46. Natl. Blood Donor Month : JAN
47. Bouillabaisse fish : TURBOT
48. Plane for a space cadet? : LA-LA LAND
50. Reduced : ON SALE
51. Show a milky shimmer : OPALESCE
52. Under quota, say : MEAGER
53. Purveyor of some sour grapes? : BAD LOSER

Down
1. Bouillabaisse base, sometimes : CLAM BROTH
2. Not stress out : HANG LOOSE
3. Napoleon is a commander in it : ANIMAL FARM
4. Suffix with 42-Down : -ICS
5. Candy brand : REESE’S
6. Stands for viewings : BIERS
7. Some itinerary data, briefly : ETDS
8. Heading for the first of two columns : DOS
9. Works vulnerable to rain : STREET ART
10. Group sitting under a tree : PRESENTS
11. Like some Jewish dynasties : HASIDIC
12. One of the Wilcoxes in “Howards End” : EVIE
13. Nuptial need : RING
14. Ab ___ (absent: Lat.) : ESSE
21. Shots, e.g. : BRACERS
23. Wearer of una corona : REY
24. Invitation exhortation : BE THERE
26. Like winter, vis-à-vis fall : NIPPIER
27. Trick-taking game : KLABERJASS
29. One of about five in a league : KILOMETER
30. Derange : UNBALANCE
31. One making the rounds : BARTENDER
33. Knickers go-with : CAMISOLE
36. Ashtray base, perhaps : BEANBAG
37. Resembling : A LA
39. Happen to : BEFALL
41. Mélange : SALAD
42. Small building block : ATOM
43. Figure in plane geometry : LUNE
44. Bear aloft? : URSA
45. Bullfighting cloak : CAPA
48. Tactic against a net rusher : LOB
49. Fender of Fender guitars : LEO
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