1112-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 12 Nov 11, Saturday

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: Barry C. Silk
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 22m 34s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … ALEGRE (ALENRE!), AGNES (ANNES)


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Musical great whose grave went unmarked for nearly 150 years : JS BACH
Like so many of the great composers, the extent of Bach’s contribution to the repertoire wasn’t fully recognized until long after his passing. I think that Johann Sebastian Bach was the greatest composer of the Baroque period, and is ranked by many as the greatest classical composer of all time.

Johann Sebastian Bach died when he was 65-years-old, in 1750. He was buried in Old St. John’s Cemetery in Leipzig, and his grave went unmarked until 1894. At that time his coffin was located, removed and buried in a vault within the church. The church was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid during WWII, and so after the war the remains had to be recovered and taken to the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig.

15. Pôrto ___, Brazil : ALEGRE
Porto Alegre is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The city was founded in 1772 by immigrants from the Azores, and later received a big influx of immigrants from Germany, Italy and Poland. Most of the residents of Porto Alegre today are descendants of those Europeans.

16. One whose crush was caped : LOIS LANE
Lois Lane has been the love interest of Superman/Clark Kent since the comic series was first published in 1938. Lois and Clark both work for the big newspaper in the city of Metropolis called “The Daily Planet”. The couple finally got hitched in the comics (and on television’s “Lois and Clark”) in 1996. But never mind all that … one has to wonder what the crossword is like in “The Daily Planet” …

17. Frank : WIENER
What we call a wiener in this country is known as a Vienna sausage in Germany. It was first produced by a butcher from Frankfurt who was living in Vienna, hence the name “Wiener”, German for “of Vienna”. Paradoxically, the same sausage is called a Frankfurter in Vienna, as it was created by someone from Frankfurt. It’s all very confusing …

18. Player of the evil Blofeld in “Never Say Never Again” : VON SYDOW
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor, noted for his appearances in movies filmed in various European languages, everything from English and Norwegian to Danish and Spanish.

22. All targets : STAINS
All is a laundry detergent made by Sun Products from Wilton, Connecticut.

24. Pulitzer-winning sports reporter Berkow : IRA
Ira Berkow is a sports reporter and writer.

27. Sight-seeing need in Spain? : OJO
“Ojo” is the Spanish for “eye”.

28. What a weaver may be guilty of, briefly : DUI
In some states, there is no longer a legal difference between a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Other states retain that difference, where by definition a DUI is a lesser offence than a DWI.

35. Words of betrayal : ET TU
It was Shakespeare who came up with the words “Et tu, Brute?” (And you, Brutus?), in his play “Julius Caesar” although the phrase was around long before he penned his drama. It’s not known what Julius Caesar actually said just before he was assassinated on the steps of the Senate in Rome.

36. Cheese ___ : STEAK
The cheesesteak sandwich was apparently introduced by Pat and Harry Olivieri and first sold in the thirties at their hot dog stand in South Philadelphia. Pat opened up his own restaurant with a menu centered on the popular sandwich, and you can go eat there to this day. It’s Pat’s King of Steaks, and my guess is everyone knows it in South Philly.

39. 495 : CAPITAL BELTWAY
The phrase “inside the Beltway” is used to refer to the infrastructure and politics of Washington, D.C. The Beltway in this case is Interstate 495, also known as the Capital Beltway.

43. One often seen in drag : BOA
The etymology of the term “drag”, as used in the transvestite world, seems to be unclear. It perhaps relates to the tendency of a transvestite’s skirts to drag along the ground in days of old (although why they just didn’t hitch up their skirts is beyond me!).

44. Dir. from Gramercy Park to Central Park : NNE
Gramercy Park is a small, private park in New York City, one of only two private parks in the city.

The man most associated with the decision to develop Central Park in New York City was William Cullen Bryant, the editor of what today is the “New York Post”. He argued that the growing city needed a large, public open space, along the lines of Hyde Park in London and the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Most of the park’s construction took place between 1860 and 1873. Much of the clearing work was accomplished using gunpowder, and it is often noted that more gunpowder was used in Central Park than in the Battle of Gettysburg.

45. Stage part : APRON
The apron of a stage (if it has one) is that part which projects out into the audience.

48. One side in a 1960s civil war : BIAFRA
The Republic of Biafra was a Nigerian state that seceded in 1967 helping to spark a bloody civil war. Biafra agreed to a ceasefire just two-and-a-half years later and was reunited with Nigeria. That was after about a million civilians had died directly from the war and from terrible famine.

51. Record producer Talmy : SHEL
Shel Talmy was an American record producer who made a name for himself in the UK. In London he worked with the likes of The Who, The Kinks and Cat Stevens.

58. Some dishwashers : AMANAS
The Amana Corporation takes its name from the location of its original headquarters, in Middle Amana, Iowa.

Down
3. See 24-Down : BEER

4. Georgia’s ___ Scott College : AGNES
Agnes Scott College is a private school in Decatur, Georgia. It is a liberal arts women’s college.

5. Tyra Banks, vis-à-vis “America’s Next Top Model” : CREATOR
Tyra Banks is a tremendously successful model and businesswoman. She hosts, and indeed created, the hit show “America’s Next Top Model “, and has her own talk show. Banks was the first African American woman to make the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue.

7. All-Star Dark of the 1950s Giants : ALVIN
Alvin Dark is a retired shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1948 while playing for the Boston Braves. Born in 1922, he is the oldest living manager of a post-season winning team.

8. Masked scavengers : COONS
The raccoon is native to North America. In captivity, raccoons can live to over 20 years of age, but in the wild they only live two or three years. The main causes for the shorter lifespan are hunting and road traffic.

10. “Inglourious Basterds” org. : OSS
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed during WWII in order to carry out espionage behind enemy lines. A few years after the end of the war the OSS functions were taken up by a new group, the Central Intelligence Agency, chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

I tried hard to enjoy the 2009 movie “Inglourious Basterds“, but I find the violence in a Quentin Tarantino film so very hard to take. However, it got good reviews, so maybe you shouldn’t let me put you off.

11. Boxing class : FLYWEIGHT
Flyweight boxers weigh in at between 108 and 112 pounds.

12. Relatives of arroyos : WADIS
“Wadi” is an Arabic term referring to a valley, or perhaps a (mostly) dry riverbed. In English we might call this a wash, or in Spanish an “arroyo”.

13. Part of an ignitron : ANODE
An ignitron is a high-current rectifier, an apparatus for converting AC current into DC.

20. 2005 Emmy winner for “ER” : LIOTTA
The actor Ray Liotta is best known for playing Henry Hill in the Martin Scorsese film “Goodfellas”.

24. With 3-Down, Bud product : ICE
(3. See 24-Down : BEER)
Ice beer is a type of lager that has undergone a process called fractional freezing. This means that the beer has been chilled to the point that ice crystals form. The ice is frozen water, and can be filtered off. This lowers the water content in the beer, hence raising the concentration of alcohol.

25. Coll. elective : ROTC
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program for officers based in colleges all around the US. The ROTC program was established in 1862 when as a condition of receiving a land-grant to create colleges, the federal government required that military tactics be a part of the new school’s curriculum.

26. Broadway acronym : ANTA
The American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) is a not-for-profit producer and training organization. It was set up in 1935 to be the official national theater of the United States, but today its main focus is the National Theater Conservatory at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

28. The “me” in “nothing can stop me now,” in a 1962 #1 hit : DUKE OF EARL
“Duke of Earl” is a great hit by Gene Chandler, recorded in 1962. It was such a success for Chandler that he called himself “The Duke of Earl”.

31. Shocker, perhaps : EEL
Electrophorus electricus is the biological name for the electric eel. Despite its name, the electric “eel” isn’t an eel at all, but rather what is called a knifefish, a fish with an elongated body and related to the catfish. The electric eel has three pairs of organs along its abdomen, each capable of generating an electric discharge. The shock can go as high as 500 volts with 1 ampere of current (that’s 500 watts), and that could perhaps kill a human.

32. Al-___ (one of the names of God in Islam) : JABBAR
“Jabbar” is an Arabic word meaning “giant, almighty”. One of the names of God in Islam is “al-Jabbar”.

34. Form of “John” : EVAN
Evan is a Welsh form of the name John.

40. Form of “John” : IAN
Evan is a Scottish form of the name John.

41. North Platte feeder : LARAMIE
The Laramie River flows through Colorado and Wyoming, emptying into the North Platte River. The Laramie is named for the French-Canadian fur trader Jacques La Ramee. His companions gave it his name when he was found dead on the river in the 1820s, his bodied riddled with arrows.

45. Name of father-and-son world leaders : ASSAD
Dr. Bashar al-Assad is the current President of the Syrian Arab Republic, and is the son of the former President, Hafez al-Assad, whom he replaced in 2001. President Assad is a medical doctor, speaks fluent English and conversational French. Assad was studying ophthalmology in London when he met his wife, an Englishwoman.

47. Palacio resident : REINA
In Spanish, a queen (reina) lives in a place (palacio).

49. They may help people tune out conversations : IPODS
The iPod is Apple’s signature line of portable media players. It first hit the market in 2001 in the form of a hard drive-based device now known as the iPod Classic. Later models all use flash memory, allowing a smaller form factor.

50. Turkish city or province : ADANA
Adana is the fifth most populous city in Turkey.

52. California wine locale : LODI
Lodi, California may not be as well known a wine producer as Sonoma and Napa counties, but has been given the moniker “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.

53. Many a Lockheed Martin employee: Abbr. : ENGR
Lockheed Martin is a huge aerospace and defense company, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Over 7% of the money paid out by the Pentagon in 2009 went to Lockheed Martin.

55. ID theft targets : SSNS
The main purpose of a Social Security Number (SSN) is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation although, given its ubiquitous use, it is looking more and more like an “identity number” to me. The social security number system was introduced in 1936. Prior to 1986, an SSN was required only for persons with substantial income, so many children under 14 had no number assigned. There was concern that a lot of people were claiming children as dependents on their tax returns who did not exist, so from 1986 onwards it was a requirement to get a SSN for any dependents over the ago of 5. Sure enough, in the following year’s returns, seven million dependents “disappeared”.

57. Video game letters : NES
The acronym Super NES stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The kids probably have one somewhere …

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Musical great whose grave went unmarked for nearly 150 years : JS BACH
7. Bombing, e.g. : ACT OF WAR
15. Pôrto ___, Brazil : ALEGRE
16. One whose crush was caped : LOIS LANE
17. Frank : WIENER
18. Player of the evil Blofeld in “Never Say Never Again” : VON SYDOW
19. Make more efficient : STREAMLINE
21. All-inclusive : WIDE
22. All targets : STAINS
23. Troubled : BESET
24. Pulitzer-winning sports reporter Berkow : IRA
27. Sight-seeing need in Spain? : OJO
28. What a weaver may be guilty of, briefly : DUI
29. Inner city, e.g. : CONCRETE JUNGLE
35. Words of betrayal : ET TU
36. Cheese ___ : STEAK
37. Eat : HAVE
39. 495 : CAPITAL BELTWAY
42. It’s cut and dried : HAY
43. One often seen in drag : BOA
44. Dir. from Gramercy Park to Central Park : NNE
45. Stage part : APRON
48. One side in a 1960s civil war : BIAFRA
51. Record producer Talmy : SHEL
52. People who see what you’re saying? : LIP READERS
56. Didn’t approve : SAID NO TO
58. Some dishwashers : AMANAS
59. Prescription proviso : AS NEEDED
60. Herald : RING IN
61. Quaint introduction : DEAR SIRS
62. Picks up : LEARNS

Down
1. Awesome parts of a Museum of Natural History display : JAWS
2. Cut : SLIT
3. See 24-Down : BEER
4. Georgia’s ___ Scott College : AGNES
5. Tyra Banks, vis-à-vis “America’s Next Top Model” : CREATOR
6. Lead-in to some royal names : HER MAJESTY
7. All-Star Dark of the 1950s Giants : ALVIN
8. Masked scavengers : COONS
9. Sticker on a plate : TINE
10. “Inglourious Basterds” org. : OSS
11. Boxing class : FLYWEIGHT
12. Relatives of arroyos : WADIS
13. Part of an ignitron : ANODE
14. Keep from drying out : REWET
20. 2005 Emmy winner for “ER” : LIOTTA
23. 17-Across supporter : BUN
24. With 3-Down, Bud product : ICE
25. Coll. elective : ROTC
26. Broadway acronym : ANTA
28. The “me” in “nothing can stop me now,” in a 1962 #1 hit : DUKE OF EARL
30. Place for some car fluid : CUP HOLDER
31. Shocker, perhaps : EEL
32. Al-___ (one of the names of God in Islam) : JABBAR
33. Grass roots development? : LAWN
34. Form of “John” : EVAN
38. Good looker? : EYE
40. Form of “John” : IAN
41. North Platte feeder : LARAMIE
45. Name of father-and-son world leaders : ASSAD
46. Period : PHASE
47. Palacio resident : REINA
48. Junkyard dog, probably : BITER
49. They may help people tune out conversations : IPODS
50. Turkish city or province : ADANA
52. California wine locale : LODI
53. Many a Lockheed Martin employee: Abbr. : ENGR
54. Pavement pounder : RAIN
55. ID theft targets : SSNS
57. Video game letters : NES

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