1211-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 11 Dec 2011, Sunday

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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: Timothy Polin
THEME: Taking Half-Steps … this is a rebus puzzle, with the words “sharp”, “flat” and “natural” written in some squares (represent by SH, FL and NA in the grid shown)
COMPLETION TIME: 38m 10s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … CAPEESH (CAPIESH!), RELL (RILL)


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
6. Jackson and Reno : JANETS
Janet Jackson is the youngest of the famed Jackson family of musicians. She is a very successful musical artist (she has sold over 100 million records!) but also devotes a lot of time to acting. When she was quite young she appeared on the TV show “Fame”, and in 1993 had her first starring role in a film, namely “Poetic Justice”. She followed that up with a part in “Nutty Professor II” playing opposite Eddie Murphy. As usual, she got to sing on the movie’s soundtrack and produced a number one with the song “Doesn’t Really Matter”. Then there was the 2004 Super Bowl half time show, and a wardrobe malfunction …

Janet Reno was Attorney General of the US from 1993 to 2001, the second longest serving person, and the first woman to hold the post. In 2002, Reno ran for Governor of Florida but failed to win the Democratic nomination. Thereafter she retired from public life.

20. Shakespearean nobleman : TIMON
“The Life of Timon of Athens” is a play by William Shakespeare. The work isn’t performed very often, and many experts have labelled it as “difficult”. There are some suggestions that “Timon” might actually be a collaboration, the work of two writers.

22. Spanish conquistador who searched for the Seven Cities of Gold : CORONADO
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado was a Spanish conquistador who explored part of what today is the southwest US. He was drawn by the myth of the Seven Cities of Gold, seven cities that were rumored to have great riches and luxury.

23. Taking too much : ODING
Overdosing …

35. Maternally related : ENATE
Something that is enate is growing outward, and “enate” is used to describe ancestors related on the mother’s side. Something that is agnate comes from a common source, and “agnate” is used to describe relatives on the father’s side of the family tree.

45. Paper tray size: Abbr. : LTR
Like so many things, our paper sizes here in North America don’t conform with the standards in the rest of the world. ISO standard sizes used elsewhere have some logic behind them, in that the ratio of width to length is usually one to the square root of two. This mathematical relationship means that when you cut a piece of paper in two each half preserves the aspect ratio of the original, which can be useful in making reduced or enlarged copies of documents. Our standard sizes of “letter” (8.5 x 11 inches) was determined in 1980 by the Reagan administration to be the official paper size for the US government. Prior to this, the “legal” size (8.5 x 14 inches) had been the standard, since 1921.

46. Mercedes sedan : E-CLASS
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars. Originally, the “E” stood for “Einspritzmotor”, the German for “fuel injection engine”.

48. Potpourri : HASH
The French term “pot pourri” literally translates to “rotten pot”, but is used to mean “stew”. Over time the term evolved in English usage to mean a “medley”, and eventually a mixture of dried flowers and spices.

50. Burrowing rodents : VOLES
Vole populations can really increase rapidly. Mama vole is pregnant for just three weeks before giving birth to litters of 5-10 baby voles. Then the young voles become sexually mature in just one month! If you have one pregnant vole in your yard, within a year you could have over a hundred of the little critters.

53. Radiohead frontman Yorke : THOM
Radiohead is an alternative rock band from England, formed in 1985.

57. Extraordinary and unexplainable : PRETER(NATURAL)
“Preternatural” is another word for supernatural. The term comes from the Latin phrase “praeter naturam” meaning “beyond nature”.

62. “The Clan of the Cave Bear” author : AUEL
As Jean Auel prepared her first book in the “Earth’s Children” series, she did a lot of research about the Ice Age, the setting for her stories. She went as far as taking a survival course in cold conditions, learning to build an ice cave and how to make fire, tan leather and knap stone.

63. Southern university whose campus is a botanical garden : ELON
Elon is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, close to the city of Burlington. Elon University is a private liberal arts school, founded in 1889.

64. Table scraps : ORTS
Orts are small scraps of food left after a meal. The word comes from Middle English, and originally described scraps left by animals.

69. Burns, e.g. : SCOT
Robert Burns is a cultural icon in Scotland and for the Scots around the world. As a poet he was a pioneer in the Romantic movement in the second half of the 18th century. One of his most famous works is his poem “Auld Lang Syne” which has been set to the tune of a traditional Scottish folksong and is used to celebrate the New Year in the English-speaking world.

76. Group that doesn’t believe in revolution? : (FLAT) EARTH SOCIETY
The Flat Earth Society is a modern incarnation of a much older group that believed that the earth was in fact flat and not an oblate spheroid. The new version was established by Samuel Shenton in 1956 in Dover in the UK. When man ventured to the moon, the Flat Earth Society took the position that the Apollo program was an elaborate hoax. The contemporary Flat Earth Society is run out of Lancaster, California.

84. “Get it?” : CAPEESH
Capeesh (also “capiche”) is slang from the Italian word “capisci?” meaning “do you understand?”

85. “Lohengrin” soprano : ELSA
“Lohengrin” is a very popular opera by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. Many arias from “Lohengrin” are staples on “Opera’s Greatest Hits” collections.

We’ve often heard the “Bridal Chorus” from Richard Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin”. It’s the tune to “Here comes the bride …” played regularly at the start of wedding ceremonies as the bride walks down the aisle. In the opera the “Bridal Chorus” is sung not at the start of the ceremony but afterwards, by the women of the wedding party as they accompany Elsa to the bridal chamber.

87. Quick inning enders, for short : DPS
Double plays …

88. Walled city of Spain : AVILA
Avila is famous for the walled defenses around the old city, which date back to 1090. They were constructed out of brown granite, and are still in excellent repair. There are nine gateways and eighty-towers in all. Even the cathedral built between the 12th and 14th centuries is part of the city’s defenses, so it looks like a imposing fortress.

89. Key : ISLE
A “key” (also “cay”) is a low island offshore, as in the Florida Keys for example. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

93. Trademarked marker : (SHARP)IE
Sharpie is a brand of pen.

96. ___-Alt-Del : CTRL
Control-Alt-Delete is a keyboard command on IBM PC compatible systems used for a soft reboot, or more recently to bring up the task manager in the Windows operating system.

99. Draft inits. : SSS
The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System (SSS). In the event that a draft is held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objectors available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrants who have completed military service) and 4-D (ministers of religion).

100. Goddess with a headdress depicting a throne : ISIS
Isis was the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, and the mother of Horus. The Egyptian pharaohs were supposedly incarnations of Horus.

104. Former transportation regulation agcy. : ICC
The Interstate Commerce Commission was set up in 1887 to regulate the railroads and later the trucking industry. It was abolished in 1995 and its functions were absorbed by the Surface Transportation Board.

106. Dangers for children and klutzes : (SHARP) OBJECTS
Klutz of course comes from Yiddish. The Yiddish word for a clumsy person is “klots”.

116. 1994 Schwarzenegger film : TRUE LIES
“True Lies” is a really, really entertaining action-comedy film from 1994 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and the wonderful Jamie Lee Curtis. The film is actually a remake of a French film called “La Totale!”. Tom Arnold has a supporting role and does a surprisingly good job, I think.

117. Judge in Judges : GIDEON
Gideon, Judge of Israel, did indeed give the name to Gideons International, the group that deposits bibles in hotel rooms around the world.

119. Cactuslike plant of the Southwest : OCOTILLO
The ocotillo plant is often referred to as a cactus, but that’s a mistake. It is a desert plant and is also called Jacob’s staff and vine cactus.

120. Doorway jamb : ALETTE
In classical architecture, an ailette (also alette) is part of pier that supports either side of an arch. It is also used for the jamb at either side of a doorway.

A door jamb is the vertical portion of a door frame. The term “jamb” comes from the French word “jambe” meaning “leg”.

124. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS
Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist who won his 1922 Nobel Prize for his work on quantum mechanics and atomic structure. Later in his life he was part of the team working on the Manhattan Project, who developed the first atomic bomb.

Down
3. Cruel Ugandan : AMIN
Idi Amin received most of his military training in the British armed forces, eventually achieving the highest rank possible for a Black African in the British Colonial Army in 1959, that of Warrant Officer. On his return to Uganda he joined the military and quickly rose to Deputy Commander of the Army. During that time he was quite the athlete. He was a noted rugby player and swimmer, and for nine years held the Ugandan national light-heavyweight boxing title. By the early seventies Amin was commander of all the armed forces of Uganda, and in 1971 seized power in a military coup, displacing the country’s president Milton Obote. There followed seven years of brutal rule by Amin during which it is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were murdered. Amin was ousted from power in 1979 after a war with Tanzania, and fled to Libya where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was financially supported by the Saudi Royal Family for the remainder of his life. He died in 2003.

4. Veg-O-Matic company : RONCO
Ronco is a company the builds and sells products mainly for the kitchen. Over the years the company has been closely associated with the “-O-Matic” suffix, especially the “Veg-O-Matic” vegetable slicer.

6. Instrument played in the mouth : JEW’(S HARP)
The Jew’s harp is one of the oldest instruments in the world, with evidence of its existence in China back in the 4th century BCE. Despite its name, there is no evidence to link the Jew’s harp with the Jewish people. As it is played in the mouth, it’s commonly thought that the name is a corruption of “jaw harp”, but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence for this etymology either.

7. Short operatic solos : ARIETTAS
An arietta quite simply is a short aria.

9. Glacial ridge : ESKER
An esker is a long and winding ridge formed by glaciation, made of sand and gravel. The term “esker” comes from the Irish word “eiscir” that describes the same feature.

10. Render : TEARER
One who rends is a render, and one who tears is a tearer.

11. Retired boomers : SSTS
The most famous Supersonic Transport (SST) was the Concorde, a plane that’s no longer flying. Concorde had that famous “droop nose”. The nose was moved to the horizontal position during flight to create the optimum aerodynamic shape thereby reducing drag. It was lowered during taxi, takeoff and landing, so that the pilot had better visibility. The need for the droop nose was driven largely by the delta-shaped wings. The delta wing necessitates a higher angle of attack at takeoff and landing than conventional wing designs, so the pilot needed the nose lowered so that he or she could see the ground.

15. Vaquero’s neckwear : BOLO
I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first one was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

“Vaquero” is the Spanish word for a “cowboy”.

17. Rikki-tikki-___ : TAVI
In Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book”, one of the short stories is titled “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”, the story about a mongoose, the brave pet of an English family that protects them from a succession of snakes.

19. Slander or libel : TORT
The word “tort” is a French word, meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. Tort law is generally about negligence, when the action of one party causes injury to another in an action that is outside of the scope of criminal law.

27. Cavalry member : LANCER
Lancers were a special type of cavalry soldier, ones who fought with lances!

31. 2005 biography subtitled “The Making of a Terrorist” : OSAMA
Osama bin Laden founded his militant Islamist group called al-Qaeda in the late eighties. “Al-Qaeda” translates as “the base”, and can refer to a military base. It was originally the name of a training camp set up for mujaheddin fighters opposing the Russians who occupied Afghanistan at the time.

34. Repeated film title role for Jim Varney : ERNEST
Jim Varney was the actor who played Ernest P. Worrell, a character used in a whole series of television commercials and eventually in a TV show and several feature films.

38. Links chain : IHOP
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests …

40. Orly bird? : AVION
“Par avion” is the French term for “by airplane”. We’re used to seeing “par avion” on a blue sticker under the words “Air Mail” on our mail.

Orly is on the outskirts of Paris, to the south of the city. It is home of course to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city, after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. Orly is still home to more domestic flights, though.

42. Potpourri : OLIO
“Olio” is a term meaning a “hodgepodge, mixture”, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the name of the clay pot used when cooking the stew.

43. Lens solution brand : RENU
ReNu is a brand name of contact lens products sold by Bausch & Lomb.

54. Shapes studied by Dr. Watson and his partner : HELICES
Francis Crick and James Watson discovered that DNA was a double-helix structure, publishing their results in Cambridge in 1953. To this day the discovery is mired in controversy, as some crucial results collected by fellow researcher Rosalind Franklin were used without her permission or even knowledge.

60. Wrinkly-faced dogs : (SHAR P)EIS
The Shar Pei breed of dog is that one with the wrinkly face and really dark tongue. The breed originated in China, with “Shar Pei” being the British spelling of the Cantonese name.

62. Lhasa ___ : APSO
The Lhasa apso breed of dog originated in Tibet, and is named after Lhasa (the capital city) and apso (a Tibetan word meaning “bearded”). The Lhasa apso has been around since 800 BC and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, one very closely related to the ancestral wolf.

66. Mario’s dinosaur sidekick : YOSHI
Yoshi is a dinosaur-like character in some Nintendo video games. He first appeared as a sidekick for Mario and Luigi in the 1991 game called “Super Mario World”.

71. Cousins of giraffes : OKAPIS
The okapi is closely related to the giraffe, although it does have markings on its legs and haunches that resemble those of a zebra. The okapi’s tongue is long enough to reach back and wash its eyeballs, and can even go back further and clean its ears inside and out.

75. “The Origin of Species” concept : (NATURAL) SELECTION
The full title of Charles Darwin’s work, which is the basis for the theory of evolution, is “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.”

78. Samoan port : APIA
Apia is the capital city, in fact the only “city”, of the Pacific island nation of Samoa. The harbor of Apia is famous for a very foolish incident in 1889 involving seven ships from Germany, the US and Britain. A typhoon was approaching so the safest thing to do was to head for open water away from land, but no nation would move its ships for fear of losing face in front of the others. Six of the vessels were lost in the typhoon as a result and 200 American and German sailors perished. The British cruiser HMS Calliope barely managed to escape from the harbor and rode out the storm safely.

79. Former Connecticut governor Jodi : RELL
Jodi Rell was the Governor of Connecticut from 2004 to 2011. During the 2008 presidential election, Rell’s name was mentioned as a potential running mate for John McCain, but of course McCain opted for Sarah Palin.

80. Welsh, e.g. : CELTS
The Celts were a very broad group of people across Europe, linked by common languages. The Celtic identity has largely been absorbed by other cultures, although a relatively modern revival of the “Celtic identity” is alive and well in the British Isles. Such Celtic peoples today are mainly found in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

81. Robert of “The Sopranos” : ILER
The actor Robert Iler’s most famous role was that of A.J., son of mob leader Tony Soprano in HBO’s “The Sopranos”. Apparently Iler’s screen persona has spilled over into his personal life, as he was arrested for armed robbery of two tourists in 2001 (and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge).

82. “___ Andromeda” (British sci-fi series) : A FOR
“A for Andromeda” is a sci-fi drama broadcast by the BBC in 1961. It was the first major role for the actress Julie Christie, who is perhaps best known for playing Lara in David Lean’s “Doctor Zhivago”.

83. 10th-century pope : LEO VII
Leo VII was a reluctant Pope, effectively placed into the job by the monarch of Rome, Alberic II of Spoleto, so that Alberic could retain control over the papacy.

92. Former surgeon general C. ___ Koop : EVERETT
C. Everett Koop was the Surgeon General from 1982-89, appointed by President Reagan. Koop was a somewhat controversial character and one who brought the position of Surgeon General into the spotlight more than was historically the case. Partly this was due to his pro-life position, his anti-tobacco stance and the fact that AIDS became a prominent issue while he was in office.

95. It’s found near the toe of a boot : SICILY
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, the “ball” that is being kicked by the Italian “boot”.

97. Apt to change : LABILE
Something that is “labile” is liable to change or is adaptable.

101. Inscribed marker : STELE
Stelae were used all over the world, sometimes as territorial markers and sometimes to commemorate military victories. In later times stelae were commonly erected as commemorative markers in graveyards or other religious sites.

103. Ancient volume : CODEX
A codex is an old book, one in the format of a modern book as opposed to its predecessor which was a scroll. The word “codex” comes from the Latin “caudex” meaning “trunk of a tree”.

105. Wispy clouds : CIRRI
Cirrus clouds are those lovely wispy white strands that are often called “mare’s tail”.

106. Al who sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination : (SHARP)TON
The Reverend Al Sharpton is a high-profile Baptist minister and civil rights activist, with his own radio talk show. Sharpton preached his first sermon when he was only 4-years-old.

107. Water hazard? : ORCA
The taxonomic name for the killer whale is Orcinus orca. The use of the name “orca”, rather than “killer whale”, is becoming more and more common. The Latin word “Orcinus” means “belonging to Orcus”, with Orcus being the name for the Kingdom of the Dead.

110. Director Kazan : ELIA
Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. In 1999 he was given an Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also directed “East of Eden”, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass”, which included Warren Beatty in his debut role.

112. Site for techies : CNET
c|net is an excellent technology website. c|net started out in 1994 as a television network specializing in technology news. In fact the host of “American Idol”, Ryan Seacrest, started off his career as a host on a c|net show.

113. Writer Grey : ZANE
Zane Grey sure did hit on the right niche. He wrote romanticized western novels and stories that really lent themselves to the big screen in the days when westerns were very popular movies. Incredibly, 110 films were made based on his work.

114. Organic compound : ENOL
An enol is an alkene with a hydroxyl group, sort of part-alkene, part-alcohol. The term “enol” therefore, is a portmanteau of “alkene” and “alcohol”.
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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Knives, forks and spoons : FLATWARE
6. Jackson and Reno : JANETS
12. Where a plant or animal thrives : (NATURAL) HABITAT
20. Shakespearean nobleman : TIMON
21. Wipes out : ERASES
22. Spanish conquistador who searched for the Seven Cities of Gold : CORONADO
23. Taking too much : ODING
24. Reassure that one’s joking, in a way : WINK AT
25. Aesthete : ART LOVER
26. Little shavers at school? : PENCIL (SHARP)ENERS
28. Northern sympathizer : UNIONIST
29. ___ moment’s notice : ON A
30. Tucker out : TIRE
31. Bone: Prefix : OSSE-
32. Just recently : O(F LAT)E
35. Maternally related : ENATE
37. Knoll : RISE
39. Like trenchant wit : RAZOR-(SHARP)
45. Paper tray size: Abbr. : LTR
46. Mercedes sedan : E-CLASS
48. Potpourri : HASH
50. Burrowing rodents : VOLES
51. Home in the woods : DEN
52. Kin: Abbr. : RELS
53. Radiohead frontman Yorke : THOM
55. Cockamamie : ASININE
57. Extraordinary and unexplainable : PRETER(NATURAL)
59. Play sentinel : KEEP A (SHARP) LOOKOUT
61. Fix, as a fairway : RESOD
62. “The Clan of the Cave Bear” author : AUEL
63. Southern university whose campus is a botanical garden : ELON
64. Table scraps : ORTS
65. Economic woe : HYPERIN(FLAT)ION
69. Burns, e.g. : SCOT
73. Ones pictured in corp. reports : CEOS
74. Newspaper units: Abbr. : COLS
75. Body of water in a volcanic crater, for one : (NATURAL) LAKE
76. Group that doesn’t believe in revolution? : (FLAT) EARTH SOCIETY
82. #2 or #3 : ALSO-RAN
84. “Get it?” : CAPEESH
85. “Lohengrin” soprano : ELSA
86. Fixed price : (FLAT) FEE
87. Quick inning enders, for short : DPS
88. Walled city of Spain : AVILA
89. Key : ISLE
91. Modernize the plant : RETOOL
93. Trademarked marker : (SHARP)IE
94. Spheres : REALMS
96. ___-Alt-Del : CTRL
98. Gusto : VERVE
99. Draft inits. : SSS
100. Goddess with a headdress depicting a throne : ISIS
102. Killed, as a test : ACED
104. Former transportation regulation agcy. : ICC
106. Dangers for children and klutzes : (SHARP) OBJECTS
111. Immigrant’s opposite : (NATURAL)-BORN CITIZEN
116. 1994 Schwarzenegger film : TRUE LIES
117. Judge in Judges : GIDEON
118. Neighbor of a Turkmen : IRANI
119. Cactuslike plant of the Southwest : OCOTILLO
120. Doorway jamb : ALETTE
121. Remark after an awkward silence : OR NOT
122. Vocal skeptic : NAYSAYER
123. Hockey team, say : SEXTET
124. Nobelist Bohr : NIELS

Down
1. Aircraft carrier : (FLAT)TOP
2. “Open ___” : WIDE
3. Cruel Ugandan : AMIN
4. Veg-O-Matic company : RONCO
5. Planned : ENGINEERED
6. Instrument played in the mouth : JEW’(S HARP)
7. Short operatic solos : ARIETTAS
8. Kid minders : NANNIES
9. Glacial ridge : ESKER
10. Render : TEARER
11. Retired boomers : SSTS
12. There’s no foul play when one passes by these : (NATURAL) CAUSES
13. Brass : HORNS
14. More pretentious : ARTIER
15. Vaquero’s neckwear : BOLO
16. ___ a secret : IN ON
17. Rikki-tikki-___ : TAVI
18. Some punches : ADES
19. Slander or libel : TORT
27. Cavalry member : LANCER
31. 2005 biography subtitled “The Making of a Terrorist” : OSAMA
32. Seasoned hand : OLD PRO
33. Sycophant : (FLAT)TERER
34. Repeated film title role for Jim Varney : ERNEST
36. Organic food label : ALL (NATURAL)
38. Links chain : IHOP
40. Orly bird? : AVION
41. Pass (out) : ZONK
42. Potpourri : OLIO
43. Lens solution brand : RENU
44. Fixed at an acute angle : (SHARP)-SET
47. Guide : STEER
49. Fox hunter’s cry : HALLO
54. Shapes studied by Dr. Watson and his partner : HELICES
56. Frequent answer to “When?” : SOON
58. Set-___ : TOS
59. Letter after pee : KUE
60. Wrinkly-faced dogs : (SHARP)EIS
62. Lhasa ___ : APSO
65. Dastardly laughs : HEHS
66. Mario’s dinosaur sidekick : YOSHI
67. Like some cigarettes : NO-TAR
68. Way to refuse : (FLAT)LY
69. Pavement caution : SLO
70. Bottom dealers, perhaps : CARD (SHARP)S
71. Cousins of giraffes : OKAPIS
72. Tightens (up) : TENSES
73. Backups for backups : C-TEAM
75. “The Origin of Species” concept : (NATURAL) SELECTION
76. Part of a freight train : (FLAT)CAR
77. Something a dome lacks : EAVE
78. Samoan port : APIA
79. Former Connecticut governor Jodi : RELL
80. Welsh, e.g. : CELTS
81. Robert of “The Sopranos” : ILER
82. “___ Andromeda” (British sci-fi series) : A FOR
83. 10th-century pope : LEO VII
86. F major has just one : (FLAT)TED NOTE
90. Kind of kick : SCISSOR
92. Former surgeon general C. ___ Koop : EVERETT
95. It’s found near the toe of a boot : SICILY
97. Apt to change : LABILE
101. Inscribed marker : STELE
103. Ancient volume : CODEX
105. Wispy clouds : CIRRI
106. Al who sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination : (SHARP)TON
107. Water hazard? : ORCA
108. Give a lift : BUOY
109. They leave trails : JETS
110. Director Kazan : ELIA
111. Piped fuel : (NATURAL) GAS
112. Site for techies : CNET
113. Writer Grey : ZANE
114. Organic compound : ENOL
115. Tiny criticisms : NITS

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5 thoughts on “1211-11: New York Times Crossword Answers 11 Dec 2011, Sunday”

  1. I'm delighted to find this site. However, Lohengrin was written by Richard Wagner not Richard Strauss.

  2. How does "taking half steps" relate to this puzzle? This is one of the most unsatisfying puzzles I've ever attempted.

  3. Hi there,

    The idea behind the theme is that, in musical terms, changing a natural note with a sharp or a flat moves it up or down by a "half step".

    Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it.

Comments are closed.