0628-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 28 Jun 12, Thursday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
5. When to have a nosh : SNACK(TIME)
Our word “nosh” has been around since the late fifties, when it was imported from the Yiddish word “nashn” meaning “to nibble”.

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

16. Requiem Mass word : IRAE
“Dies Irae” is Latin for “Day of Wrath”. It is the name of a famous melody in Gregorian Chant, one that is often used as part of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass.

20. General Motors product : VOLT
Despite being late entering the eco-friendly car market, Chevrolet today produces the most fuel-efficient compact car with a gasoline engine that is sold in the US. The Chevrolet Volt went on sale at the end of 2010, a plug-in hybrid car that runs on batteries. The Volt has a gasoline engine that can be used run an electric generator if needed. The Volt also uses a regenerative braking system similar to that on my Honda Civic Hybrid, a car that I really love.

23. Pond youngster : EFT
Newts wouldn’t be my favorite animals. They are found all over the world living on land or in water depending on the species, but always associated with water even if it is only for breeding. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental stages during their lives. They start off as larvae in water, fertilized eggs that often cling to aquatic plants unlike the eggs of frogs and toads which float freely. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, the first developmental form of the newt. After living some months as tadpoles swimming around in the water, they undergo another metamorphosis, sprouting legs and replacing their external gills with lungs. At this juvenile stage they are known as efts, and leave the water to live on land. A more gradual transition takes place then, as the eft takes on the lizard-like appearance of the adult newt.

24. Rehab problem : DTS
The episodes of delirium that can accompany withdrawal from alcohol are called Delirium Tremens (the DTs). The literal translation of this Latin phrase is “trembling madness”.

25. Cardinal of Rome? : UNO
“Uno” is the Italian for “one”.

Cardinal numbers are the whole numbers starting with zero i.e. 0, 1, 2, 3 etc.

26. “Exodus” figure : ARI
“Exodus” is a wonderful novel written by American writer Leon Uris, first published in 1947. The book was incredibly well received by the public, and is the second biggest best seller in the US, after “Gone with the Wind”. The hero of the piece is Ari Ben Canaan, played by Paul Newman in the 1960 film adaptation directed by Otto Preminger.

27. Calculus calculations : SLOPES
The slope or gradient of a straight line is the ratio of the “rise” (delta y) to the “run” (delta x). If there is no difference in the values of y for all points in a line that delta y is zero, and the slope is zero. If the values of y are all the same, then the line is horizontal.

33. ___ Kong : HONG
Hong Kong first became part of the British Empire after the First Opium War in 1842. In 1898, Britain signed a 99-year lease to retain control of Hong Kong. That control ended 99 years later in 1997 with a formal transfer of sovereignty to China.

40. Sistine Chapel chap : ADAM
The Sistine Chapel in the Pope’s residence in Rome takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV who was responsible for restoring the old Capella Magna in the 15th century. It was about a century later (1508-1512) that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel under the patronage of Pope Julius II.

49. Presidential inits. : DDE
President Eisenhower was born David Dwight Eisenhower, but by the time he made it to the White House he was going by the name Dwight D. Eisenhower. Growing up, his family called him Dwight, and when “Ike” enrolled in West Point he himself reversed the order of his given names.

55. Cambodian cash : RIEL
The Cambodian riel was first introduced in 1953, and was taken out of circulation by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 when they completely abolished money on taking control of the country. After the Vietnamese invasion of 1978, money was reintroduced and the Cambodian people are still using the “second” riel.

56. Singer with the 1990 #1 album “To the Extreme” : VANILLA ICE
Vanilla Ice is the stage name of rapper Robert Van Winkle. Van Winkle used to breakdance with a band of friends when he was a young teenager and, as he was the only Caucasian in the group, he was given the nickname “Vanilla”.

59. “___ gets halfway around the world …” : A LIE
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on” is a quotation from Winston Churchill.

60. Apple sales : IMACS
The iMac is a desktop computer platform from Apple introduced in 1998. One of the main features of the iMac is an “all-in-one” design, with the computer console and monitor integrated.

61. Applesauce eponym : MOTT
Samuel R. Mott was a producer of apple cider and vinegar. In 1842 he founded his own company to market and sell his products. The company (now part of the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group) owns brands such as Mr & Mrs T, Hawaiian Punch and ReaLime/ReaLemon.

Down
4. “I Got You Babe,” e.g. : DUET
“I Got You Babe” is a duet that was released in 1965 by Sonny & Cher. The lyrics and music for the song were written by Sonny Bono himself.

5. Cathedral facing New York’s Rock Center : ST PATS
The Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York City is a neo-Gothic structure that sits on Fifth Avenue across the street from Rockefeller Center. St. Patrick’s is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York.

6. ___ Ark : NOAH’S
Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3, Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

7. Egyptian lowlife? : ASPS
The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

8. Can opener? : CEE
C (cee) is the opening letter of the word “can”.

9. 1935 Garbo role : KARENINA
I have to admit to not having read Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”, but I did see the excellent 1977 British television adaptation starring Nicola Pagett. Most regard the 1935 film starring Greta Garbo in the title role as the definitive big screen adaptation.

10. University of Hawaii campus locale : HILO
Hilo is the largest settlement on the big island of Hawai’i, with a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). Oh, I love the Big Island …

11. Wyoming tribe : ARAPAHO
The Arapaho tribe lived on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. The Arapaho traditionally wintered in small camps in the foothills of the Rockies, and then relocated to plains in the spring where they hunted the buffalo that were gathering to give birth to their young.

24. Lucy’s man : DESI
Desi Arnaz was of course famous for his turbulent marriage to Lucille Ball. Desi Arnaz was a native of Cuba, and was from a privileged family. His father was Mayor of Santiago and served in the Cuban House of Representatives. However, the family had to flee to Miami after the 1933 revolt led by Batista.

28. Mrs. ___, “Beauty and the Beast” character : POTTS
Mrs. Potts is a character introduced into the “Beauty and the Beast” tale by Disney in the 1991 film adaptation. Mrs. Potts is a teapot, and her son Chip is a teacup.

29. Sectionals, e.g. : SOFAS
“Sofa” is a Turkish word meaning “bench”.

35. Instrument in a Picasso painting : MANDOLIN
Picasso featured a mandolin in more than one of his paintings, most notably in “Mandolin and Guitar” painted in 1924.

Pablo Picasso’s full name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso, a name he was given right from birth. Got that?

36. Some Wharton alums : MBAS
The world’s first MBA degree was offered by Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration, in 1908.

Wharton is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.

38. Actress Ashley of “High School Musical” : TISDALE
Ashley Tisdale is an actress and singer most famous for playing the lead role in the “High School Musical” series of movies.

39. Willa Cather title heroine : ANTONIA
American novelist Willa Cather wrote what’s called the “prairie trilogy”, books that tell the story of Swedish immigrants living in Nebraska. The titles in the trilogy are “O, Pioneers!”, “The Song of the Lark” and “My Antonia”. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for another novel, “One of Ours”, set in Nebraska and the French battlefields of WWI.

42. Eye cream additive : RETINOL
Retinol is a form of vitamin A. Retinol helps keep skin healthy.

43. 1970s cop show : BARETTA
“Baretta” is a detective show that originally aired from 1975 to 1978. Robert Blake played the title role of Tony Baretta, a New Jersey cop who lived in an apartment with his pet cockatoo.

57. Ethel Waters’s “___ Blue?” : AM I
“Am I Blue?” is a song that dates back to 1929, when it was a big hit for Ethel Waters. It has been covered by many artists since then, most notably Eddie Cochran and Cher.

Ethel Waters was a singer and actress. Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award (after Hattie McDaniel).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. You might give this to someone you don’t like : HARD
5. When to have a nosh : SNACK
10. Football break : HALF
14. Baseball brother : ALOU
15. Out of port : TO SEA
16. Requiem Mass word : IRAE
17. Part : ROLE
18. Floppy disk? : PAPER PLATE
20. General Motors product : VOLT
21. Understanding responses : AHS
22. Joined in secret : ELOPED
23. Pond youngster : EFT
24. Rehab problem : DTS
25. Cardinal of Rome? : UNO
26. “Exodus” figure : ARI
27. Calculus calculations : SLOPES
29. Betray, in a way : SNITCH ON
31. Letters that should never be published? : TYPOS
32. Temporary gift : LOAN
33. ___ Kong : HONG
34. Window, of sorts … or a hint to completing 10 answers in this puzzle : TIME FRAME
37. Rat-___ : A-TAT
40. Sistine Chapel chap : ADAM
41. Good grilling? : BAR-B-Q
45. Steps in a salon : RINSINGS
47. French cake : GATEAU
48. Alphabet trio : RST
49. Presidential inits. : DDE
50. Casual greetings : YOS
51. Chorus line kickoff? : TRA-
52. “Same here!” : I DO TOO
54. Some condensation : DEW
55. Cambodian cash : RIEL
56. Singer with the 1990 #1 album “To the Extreme” : VANILLA ICE
58. Con : ANTI
59. “___ gets halfway around the world …” : A LIE
60. Apple sales : IMACS
61. Applesauce eponym : MOTT
62. Period for preparation : LEAD
63. Dark hours : NIGHT
64. School recess : PLAY

Down
1. Autumn, typically : HARVEST
2. Without much warmth : ALOOFLY
3. Desk cover : ROLLTOP
4. “I Got You Babe,” e.g. : DUET
5. Cathedral facing New York’s Rock Center : ST PATS
6. ___ Ark : NOAH’S
7. Egyptian lowlife? : ASPS
8. Can opener? : CEE
9. 1935 Garbo role : KARENINA
10. University of Hawaii campus locale : HILO
11. Wyoming tribe : ARAPAHO
12. Eventually : LATER ON
13. When a zookeeper makes the rounds with a bucket : FEEDING
19. Map (out) : PLOT
24. Lucy’s man : DESI
25. Render harmless : UNARM
28. Mrs. ___, “Beauty and the Beast” character : POTTS
29. Sectionals, e.g. : SOFAS
30. Con : CHEAT
32. Dove’s perch : LEDGE
35. Instrument in a Picasso painting : MANDOLIN
36. Some Wharton alums : MBAS
37. Flight board listing : ARRIVAL
38. Actress Ashley of “High School Musical” : TISDALE
39. Willa Cather title heroine : ANTONIA
42. Eye cream additive : RETINOL
43. 1970s cop show : BARETTA
44. Focused face-to-face contact : QUALITY
46. Poster subject, maybe : IDOL
47. Advice heeded by a pioneer : GO WEST
50. “Bleah!” : YECCH
53. Even : TIED
54. TV screen meas. : DIAG
55. Up, with “up” : RAMP
57. Ethel Waters’s “___ Blue?” : AM I

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