0129-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 29 Jan 12, Sunday

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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Ian Livengood
THEME: Networking Event … each of the theme answers starts with the name of a television station:

22A. Fancy footwear at a TV station? : SPIKE HEELS (Spike)
24A. Advertising department at a TV station? : E-MARKETING (E! Entertainment Television)
36A. Slide show at a TV station? : ENCORE PRESENTATION (Encore)
56A. Q&A at a TV station? : ION EXCHANGE (Ion Television)
72A. Expert at a TV station? : HISTORY BUFF (History Television)
86A. Enrollment at a TV station? : LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP (Lifetime Television)
104A. Recruiters at a TV station? : FOX HUNTERS (Fox Broadcasting Company)
106A. Fish holder at a TV station? : OXYGEN TANK (Oxygen)

COMPLETION TIME: 40m 57s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … COE (Roe), HECATE (Herate).


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
5. Cowboys’ home, familiarly : BIG D
“Big D” is a nickname for the city of Dallas, Texas.

18. Locale of St. Catherine’s Monastery, said to be the world’s oldest working monastery : SINAI
The Sinai Peninsula is in the eastern part of Egypt, the triangular peninsula bounded by the Mediterranean to the north, and the Red Sea to the south. It is the only part of Egypt that lies in Asia as opposed to Africa. The eastern land border of the peninsula is shared with Israel, allowing Israel to occupy the Sinai during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the Six Day War of 1967.

St. Catherine’s Monastery is a very old Eastern Orthodox Church that sits at the foot of Mount Sinai on the Sinai Peninsula. It is thought to be one of the oldest working monasteries in the world, is supposed to be built on the site of the burning bush seen by Moses.

21. Narrow inlet : RIA
A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

22. Fancy footwear at a TV station? : SPIKE HEELS (Spike)
Spike TV was a 2003 relaunch of The Nashville Network (TNN) and was marketed as the first television channel for men. The station owners ran into trouble though as the director Spike Lee sued, claiming that viewers would assume he was associated with the channel because of the use of “Spike”. The suit was settled when Lee concluded that there was no intention to trade on his name.

24. Advertising department at a TV station? : E-MARKETING (E! Entertainment Television)
E! Entertainment Television started out in 1987 as Movietime, and hired on-air hosts such as Greg Kinnear and Paul Abdul. It was renamed in 1990 to E! Entertainment Television, underscoring the focus on Hollywood gossip and the like.

26. Rugged transport, for short : ATV
An all terrain vehicle (ATV).

27. ___ Levy, four-time Super Bowl coach for Buffalo : MARV
Marv Levy is a former American and Canadian Football coach. He is probably most noted as a coach from his days with the Buffalo Bills, when the team won four consecutive AFC championships.

35. Classic toy company whose name is its founder’s middle name : LIONEL
Lionel is the name most associated with toy trains in the US. The first trains rolled off the production line in 1901 and they are still produced today, although the original Lionel Corporation is long gone. In 1995, the brand was bought by an investment company that included train enthusiast Neil Young, the singer, and operated as Lionel, LLC. Neil Young’s financial involvement ended after a 2008 reorganization of the company following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, but the company is still producing and selling.

36. Slide show at a TV station? : ENCORE PRESENTATION (Encore)
Encore is a premium television network that shows movies. It offers a suite of channels that broadcast films in various genres such as Westerns, Drama and Action.

41. “Puss in Boots” villain : OGRE
“Puss in Boots” is a fairy tale from France, written in the late 1600s by Charles Perrault.

42. “Barbarella” extras, for short : ETS
“Barbarella” is a cult classic 1968 film that was directed by Roger Vadim. Vadim’s wife at the time was Jane Fonda, and she plays the title character.

50. River to Korea Bay : YALU
A large section of the border between China and North Korea runs down the center of the Yalu River. Yalu is the Chinese name for the river, whereas it is known as the Amnok in Korean. The valley through which the western part of the river flows was the site of many, many dogfights during the Korean War, and was famously known as “MiG Alley”.

56. Q&A at a TV station? : ION EXCHANGE (Ion Television)
Ion Television started out as PAX TV in 1998, was renamed to i:Independent Television in 2005 and then to Ion in 2007.

60. Green-egg layers : EMUS
The emu has had a tough time in Australia since man settled there. There was even an “Emu War” in Western Australia in 1932 when migrating emus competed with livestock for water and food. Soldiers were sent in and used machine guns in an unsuccessful attempt to drive off the “invading force”. The emus were clever, breaking their usual formation and adopting guerrilla tactics, operating as smaller units. After 50 days of “war”, the military withdrew. Subsequent requests for military help for the farmers were ignored. The emus had emerged victorious …

61. Ruthless corporate type : RAIDER
The business strategy known as “corporate raiding” really is pretty ruthless and short sighted (excuse my being judgmental). The idea is to buy a large interest in a corporation, sometimes “stealthily”, by buying up a significant number of voting shares. Then the raider uses the power of the voting rights to convince other voters to change the way the company is run, purely to increase the share price in the relatively short term. The changes often involve replacement of the management team, downsizing and even liquidation of the company, all for short term personal gain.

66. Skater Yamaguchi : KRISTI
Kristi Yamaguchi is a figure skater, an Olympic champion in 1992. She is quite the dancer too, having won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2008. Yamaguchi started skating and taking ballet as a young child as physical therapy, as she had club feet …

69. Instrument with a big bell : BASSTUBA
The tuba is the lowest pitched of all the brass instruments, and one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra (usually there is just one tuba included in an orchestral line-up). “Tuba” is the Latin word for “trumpet, horn”.

72. Expert at a TV station? : HISTORY BUFF (History)
History is the contemporary name for what used to be called The History Channel. The channel was launched in 1995 and is owned by A&E.

76. Beginning of some temple names : B’NAI
“B’nai” is a Hebrew word that means “sons”.

77. Opéra part : ACTE
In French the opera is called “opéra”, and an opera is made up of acts (“actes”).

81. Super ___ : NES
The acronym Super NES stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Our kids probably have one somewhere …

82. George nicknamed Mr. Basketball : MIKAN
George Mikan was a professional basketball player who played for the Chicago American Gears and the Minneapolis Lakers.

84. Baseball family surname : ALOU
Jesus Alou played major league baseball, as did his brothers Matty and Felipe, and as Felipe’s son, Moises.

86. Enrollment at a TV station? : LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP (Lifetime Television)
Lifetime is television channel that is geared towards women, and one that features programming with women in leading roles.

95. How some stocks are bought : AT PAR
In days gone by, when companies first issued a stock, each share would be given a face value (called “par value”). In effect, the company was making a commitment not to issue any more stock under that par value, giving investors confidence that there was no better deal to be had. Nowadays, most stock is issued without such a “guarantee” and is called “no-par stock”.

103. Country singer David Allan ___, writer of “Take This Job and Shove It” : COE
David Allan Coe is a so-called “outlaw” country music singer, a performer who spent much of his life behind bars (the penitentiary type!). One the more famous songs that he wrote is “Take This Job and Shove It”.

104. Recruiters at a TV station? : FOX HUNTERS (Fox Broadcasting Company)
Fox Broadcasting Company is a television network owned by Rupert Murdoch.

106. Fish holder at a TV station? : OXYGEN TANK (Oxygen)
Oxygen is a television channel that caters mainly to women.

109. It’s picked in the Pacific : UKE
The ukulele originated in the 1800s and mimicked a small guitar brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants.

111. Meal with wine : SEDER
The Passover Seder is a ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday, celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. One of the traditions at the meal is that the youngest child at the table asks “The Four Questions”, all relating to why this night is different from all other nights in the year:

– Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzoh, but on this night we eat only matzoh?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?
– Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?
– Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?

112. Missouri relatives : OTOE
The Otoe were the first Native American tribe encountered in the West by Lewis and Clark. The explorers met with the Otoe (and Missouria) tribes in 1804 at a spot that became known as Council Bluff. The site is now a National Historic Landmark called Fort Atkinson, Nebraska as a fort was built there on Lewis’s recommendation.

113. It was dropped at Woodstock : LSD
LSD (also known as “acid”) is short for lysergic acid diethylamide. A Swiss chemist called Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 in a research project looking for medically efficacious ergot alkaloids. It wasn’t until some five years later when Hofmann ingested some of the drug accidentally that its psychedelic properties were discovered. Trippy, man …

114. “___ Got a Brand New Bag” (1965 James Brown hit) : PAPAS
The singer James Brown was often referred to as “The Godfather of Soul”. He was born in Barnwell, South Carolina and had a rough and impoverished upbringing. He lived for some years in his aunt’s house which she ran as a brothel, and when he was sixteen he was convicted of armed robbery and was sent to reform school. While in reform school he was noticed by the R&B star Bobby Byrd, who took him under his wing. Byrd helped secure the young man an early release, and thereafter Brown turned his energies to music.

Down
1. Opening word? : SESAME
In the Arabic tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, the magical cave entrance is opened with the words “Open, Simsim”, but this mutated into “Open Sesame” in European translations.

2. Tea merchant Sir Thomas : LIPTON
Sir Thomas Lipton was a grocer in Glasgow, Scotland. He founded a tea packing company in North America in 1893, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He was very successful as his blends of tea became popular in the US. Despite the Lipton roots in the UK, Lipton black tea isn’t available there, so I’ve always thought of it as an American brand.

3. Early computer : UNIVAC
UNIVAC I was the first commercial computer made in the US. It was designed by the inventors of ENIAC, the first electronic computer built for the US government. The first UNIVAC sold went to the US Census Bureau in 1951.

5. Drink served with Brezeln : BIER
“Brezeln” is the German for “pretzels”, and “bier” is the word for “beer”.

6. “What chutzpah!” : I NEVER
Our word “chutzpah” meaning “nerve, gall, impudence” is derived from the Yiddish “khutspe”, which has the same meaning.

8. “The Simpsons” character with platform shoes : DISCO STU
On “The Simpsons”, the character of Disco Stu is voiced by Hank Azaria, although it was voiced for a while by Phil Hartman. Disco Stu is described as “a black, wrinkly John Travolta”.

10. Gold rush town of 1899 : NOME
Nome, Alaska has over 3,500 residents, the majority of whom are Native American. The next largest ethnic group is the white population.

11. Graceful horse : ARAB
The Arab (or Arabian) breed of horse takes its name from its original home, the Arabian Peninsula. Like any animal that humans have over-bred though, the horse falls prey to genetic diseases, some of which are fatal and some of which require the horse to be euthanized.

14. Mythical figure blinded by Oenopion : ORION
According to Greek mythology, Oenopion was the king of Chios. Oenopion received Orion as a guest, at which time Orion tried to violate Oenopion’s daughter Merope. As an act of revenge Oenopion stabbed out Orion’s eyes and threw him off his island.

25. SpongeBob, e.g. : TOON
SpongeBob SquarePants is a cartoon character in a television series. He first appeared in 1999.

37. ___ Place : PEYTON
Grace Metallius’s 1956 novel “Peyton Place” had such an impact that to this day, the expression “Peyton Place” is used to describe any neighborhood where the residents have sordid secrets. The novel has it all, including incest, abortion, adultery, lust and murder. No wonder it stayed on “The New York Times” bestseller list for 59 weeks …

40. Product from Mars : TWIX
I remember Twix bars from way back in 1967 when they were introduced in the British Isles. They made it to the US over a decade later, in 1979.

46. One of a group of 12, say : PEER
A jury is made up of 12 peers.

47. World org. based in Lausanne, Switzerland : IOC
The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894, and has its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

49. Leucippus and Democritus, philosophically : ATOMISTS
Leucippus lived in the 5th century BC in ancient Greece. He founded the Atomist Movement. The atomists believed that the world was composed of just atoms and voids, and that the atom was an indestructible particle. How wrong they were …

51. Some Dadaist works : ARPS
Hans Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. He was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German, he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French, he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”.

57. Place to live in Germany : HAUS
“Haus” is the German word for “house”.

59. Prefix with -plasm : CYTO-
The word “protoplasm” comes from the Greek, meaning first (protos) thing formed (plasma). It is the name given to the cell contents, everything that is surrounded by the plasma membrane. The protoplasm in most cells is divided into two parts, the cytoplasm which surrounds the nucleus, and the nucleoplasm found within the nucleus.

60. Give lessons : EDIFY
“To edify” is to provide instruction in order to improve spiritually, morally or intellectually. The intent is to “build up” someone’s faith or morality. “Edify” comes from the Latin “aedificare” meaning “to build, construct”, which is also the root for our word “edifice”.

64. Sheiks’ garments : ABAS
An aba is a loose-fitting sleeveless garment made from the woven hair of camels or goats. It is traditional Arab dress.

65. Sidecars might go on it : BAR TAB
The Sidecar is actually my favorite cocktail. It was invented around the end of WWI possibly in the Ritz Hotel in Paris. It’s a simple drink to make, and contains brandy, cointreau or triple sec, and lemon or lime juice. It’s really the brandy version of a margarita (or vice versa).

66. “Star Trek II” villain : KHAN
In the 1982 movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” William Shatner of course played James T. Kirk, and the evil Khan was played by Ricardo Montalbán. Leonard Nimoy didn’t want to appear in the sequel, and only agreed to do so when the producers agreed to “kill off” Spock at the end of the story (but he comes back … and back … and back …).

67. Houston university : RICE
William Marsh Rice University is a private school in Houston, Texas. Rice had made a will endowing the funds for the establishment of the school at the time of his death. When he was found dead one morning in his bed, his lawyer announced that his will had been changed, with the bulk of Rice’s estate actually going to the lawyer making the announcement. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the lawyer had paid Rice’s valet to murder his employer using chloroform and a fake will was written. Eventually the original will was deemed valid, and the funds were disbursed so that the school could be built.

68. ___ Islam : SUNNI
The largest denomination in the Muslim faith is Sunni Islam, with the second being Shia Islam.

73. Joiner of a team : YOKE
A yoke is that wooden beam used between a pair of oxen so that they are forced to work together.

75. Home of ancient Bethlehem : JUDEA
Judea was southern part of the historic Land of Israel.

79. One of a secretive trio : LAMPPOST
Between you, me and the lamppost.

80. Dairy brand : BORDEN
Borden used to be the country’s biggest producer of dairy and pasta products. The company ran up major losses in the nineties from which it really couldn’t recover and so is no longer operating.

83. ___ decay : BETA
Beta particles (the constituents of beta rays) are products of decay of a radioactive element. Beta particles are high-energy electrons or positrons emitted from the nucleus of the decaying element.

85. One-point score, of a sort : LEANER
In the game of horseshoes, a ringer is scored when the tossed shoe lands around the target stake. A leaner is almost as good as a ringer, and is scored when a horseshoe lands upright or leans against the stake.

86. It might be batted at a knockout : LASH
One might bat one’s eyelashes in a flirtatious move.

87. Clerics’ homes : MANSES
A manse is a minister’s home in various Christian traditions. “Manse” derives from “mansus”, the Latin for “dwelling”.

88. Half of a title role for John Barrymore or Spencer Tracy : MR HYDE
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was first published in 1886. There are many tales surrounding the writing of the story including one that the author wrote the basic tale in just three to six days, and spent a few weeks simply refining it. Allegedly, Stevenson’s use of cocaine stimulated his creative juices during those few days of writing.

89. Goddess associated with witchcraft : HECATE
Hecate was a three-faced goddess in the Greek and Roman traditions. She was associated with many phenomena, including magic and witchcraft.

93. Savvies : GROKS
To grok is to understand, a slang word really only used in “techie” circles. “Grok” is the creation of science fiction author Robert Heinlein, who coined the term in his 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land”.

94. Entranced : HEXED
“Hexen” is a German word meaning “to practice witchcraft”. The use of the word “hex” in English started with the Pennsylvania Dutch in the early 1800s.

98. Other, in Oviedo : OTRA
Oviedo is a city in northern Spain.

100. Lassie of Arg. : SRTA
Señorita (srta.)

102. S-shaped molding : OGEE
An ogee is like an s-curve. Specifically it is a curve consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite directions (like an S) but both ends of the curve end up parallel to each other (which is not necessarily true for an S).

107. Gen ___ : XER
The term Generation X originated in the UK, and was the name of a book by Jane Deverson. Her book detailed the results of a study of British youths in 1964, contrasting their lifestyle to those of previous generations. It was Canadian author Douglas Coupland who was responsible for popularizing the term, with his more successful publication “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture”. By the latest accepted definition, Gen-Xers were born between 1961 and 1981.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Swivel on an axis : SLUE
5. Cowboys’ home, familiarly : BIG D
9. Laughable : INANE
14. Marble, e.g. : ORB
17. One in Germany : EINE
18. Locale of St. Catherine’s Monastery, said to be the world’s oldest working monastery : SINAI
19. Sources of many beads : CORALS
21. Narrow inlet : RIA
22. Fancy footwear at a TV station? : SPIKE HEELS (Spike)
24. Advertising department at a TV station? : E-MARKETING (E! Entertainment Television)
26. Rugged transport, for short : ATV
27. ___ Levy, four-time Super Bowl coach for Buffalo : MARV
28. Visited : CAME BY
30. Western loop : NOOSE
31. Like some fortresses : MOATED
33. Lose ground? : ERODE
35. Classic toy company whose name is its founder’s middle name : LIONEL
36. Slide show at a TV station? : ENCORE PRESENTATION (Encore)
41. “Puss in Boots” villain : OGRE
42. “Barbarella” extras, for short : ETS
43. Person making waves? : ROWER
44. “How ya doin’, bro?” : SUP
47. Livid : IRATE
50. River to Korea Bay : YALU
52. Insanity : MANIA
53. Shave : PARE
54. Court recitation : OATH
55. Midpoints: Abbr. : CTRS
56. Q&A at a TV station? : ION EXCHANGE (Ion Television)
58. Lickety-split : CHOP-CHOP
60. Green-egg layers : EMUS
61. Ruthless corporate type : RAIDER
62. Noted calendar makers : MAYANS
63. Underworld leader : DON
64. Overflow : ABOUND
66. Skater Yamaguchi : KRISTI
68. Sort (out) : SIFT
69. Instrument with a big bell : BASSTUBA
72. Expert at a TV station? : HISTORY BUFF (History)
75. Cookie holders : JARS
76. Beginning of some temple names : B’NAI
77. Opéra part : ACTE
78. Cockamamie : LOONY
79. Carnal craving : LUST
80. European freshwater fish : BREAM
81. Super ___ : NES
82. George nicknamed Mr. Basketball : MIKAN
83. “Tsk! Tsk!” : BAD
84. Baseball family surname : ALOU
86. Enrollment at a TV station? : LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP (Lifetime Television)
92. Shocked : AGHAST
95. How some stocks are bought : AT PAR
96. Hold fast : ADHERE
97. Seize : WREST
98. Playful response to a good insult : OH SNAP
101. You might rub a knife across it : HONE
103. Country singer David Allan ___, writer of “Take This Job and Shove It” : COE
104. Recruiters at a TV station? : FOX HUNTERS (Fox Broadcasting Company)
106. Fish holder at a TV station? : OXYGEN TANK (Oxygen)
109. It’s picked in the Pacific : UKE
110. One taking the gold? : PIRATE
111. Meal with wine : SEDER
112. Missouri relatives : OTOE
113. It was dropped at Woodstock : LSD
114. “___ Got a Brand New Bag” (1965 James Brown hit) : PAPAS
115. Orange or olive : TREE
116. Await decision : PEND

Down
1. Opening word? : SESAME
2. Tea merchant Sir Thomas : LIPTON
3. Early computer : UNIVAC
4. Shout in a strip : EEK
5. Drink served with Brezeln : BIER
6. “What chutzpah!” : I NEVER
7. Miss at a hoedown : GAL
8. “The Simpsons” character with platform shoes : DISCO STU
9. Old block deliverers : ICEMEN
10. Gold rush town of 1899 : NOME
11. Graceful horse : ARAB
12. ___ a scratch : NARY
13. Utah’s state animal : ELK
14. Mythical figure blinded by Oenopion : ORION
15. Do a certain dish duty : RINSE
16. Zero, in slang : BAGEL
18. Beach umbrella, e.g. : SHADER
20. Student involved in a prank, maybe : SENIOR
23. Appear on the scene : EMERGE
25. SpongeBob, e.g. : TOON
29. Sugary quaffs : ADES
32. Canine protector : TOOTHPASTE
34. Fishing gear : REELS
35. Blanket : LIE ACROSS
37. ___ Place : PEYTON
38. Continental prefix : TRANS-
39. Primo : A-ONE
40. Product from Mars : TWIX
44. Sahara feature : SAND DUNE
45. Push : URGE
46. One of a group of 12, say : PEER
47. World org. based in Lausanne, Switzerland : IOC
48. Bowl call : RAH
49. Leucippus and Democritus, philosophically : ATOMISTS
51. Some Dadaist works : ARPS
52. Go up : MOUNT
53. Oil producer? : PAINTBRUSH
55. It brings up many ticket holders : CHAIRLIFT
56. “Ta-ta!” : I’M OFF
57. Place to live in Germany : HAUS
59. Prefix with -plasm : CYTO-
60. Give lessons : EDIFY
64. Sheiks’ garments : ABAS
65. Sidecars might go on it : BAR TAB
66. “Star Trek II” villain : KHAN
67. Houston university : RICE
68. ___ Islam : SUNNI
70. Meadow call : BAA
71. “Ready!” follower : AIM
73. Joiner of a team : YOKE
74. Gravy holder : BOAT
75. Home of ancient Bethlehem : JUDEA
79. One of a secretive trio : LAMPPOST
80. Dairy brand : BORDEN
82. Get foggy : MIST UP
83. ___ decay : BETA
85. One-point score, of a sort : LEANER
86. It might be batted at a knockout : LASH
87. Clerics’ homes : MANSES
88. Half of a title role for John Barrymore or Spencer Tracy : MR HYDE
89. Goddess associated with witchcraft : HECATE
90. Like some T-shirt designs : IRON-ON
91. Didn’t wait until Christmas, say : PEEKED
92. Terrible : AWFUL
93. Savvies : GROKS
94. Entranced : HEXED
98. Other, in Oviedo : OTRA
99. Crate : HEAP
100. Lassie of Arg. : SRTA
102. S-shaped molding : OGEE
105. Quick drink : NIP
107. Gen ___ : XER
108. Outdo : TOP

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2 thoughts on “0129-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 29 Jan 12, Sunday”

  1. I'm still around but can't get to these puzzles every day. I still enjoy your comments. Keep on solving.

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