0729-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 29 Jul 12, Sunday

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: Kevin G. Der
THEME: Debut Promos at the World’s Fair … all of the theme answers are innovations that debuted at a world’s fair:

23A. “Get an inside look at our booth” (Buffalo, 1901) : X-RAY MACHINE
25A. “Come by and chat at our booth” (Philadelphia, 1876) : TELEPHONE
41A. “You’ve gotta get your hands on this” (Knoxville, 1982) : TOUCHSCREEN
44A. “Puts the keys of the future at your fingertips” (Philadelphia, 1876) : TYPEWRITER
59A. “Bring your dogs to our booth” (Philadelphia, 1876) : HEINZ KETCHUP
69A. “The fair’s toughest man alive” (New York City, 1939) : HUMANOID ROBOT
79A. “Get the scoop on our new hand-held offering” (St. Louis, 1904) : ICE CREAM CONE
94A. “Fairgoers may be in for a shock” (St. Louis, 1904) : WALL OUTLET
97A. “Starting a giant revolution at the fairgrounds” (Chicago, 1893) : FERRIS WHEEL
117A. “Getting fairgoers moving on the right track” (Paris, 1900) : ESCALATOR
119A. “Now showing our big vision of the future” (Osaka, 1970) : IMAX THEATER

COMPLETION TIME: 59m 42s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0


Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. One of six World Cup qualifying zones : ASIA
There are six geographic qualifying zones for the FIFA World Cup tournament (that’s soccer!):

– Asia
– Africa
– North, Central America and the Carribean
– South America
– Oceania
– Europe

To date, all of the teams making it to the World Cup final have been from either Europe or South America.

19. Pedigree alternative : IAMS
Iams dog food was produced by the animal nutritionist Paul Iams. Iams felt that household pets were suffering somewhat by being fed a diet of table scraps, so he developed a dry dog food that he thought was more nutritious and suitable for pet dogs. He founded the Iams company, now part of Proctor & Gamble, in 1946.

21. Shade darker than azure : ANIL
Anil is another name for the indigo plant, as well as the name for the blue indigo dye that is obtained from it. And that blue is relatively close to “navy” blue.

22. Gelatin substitute : AGAR
Agar is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

23. “Get an inside look at our booth” (Buffalo, 1901) : X-RAY MACHINE
The Pan-American Exposition was a World’s Fair held in Buffalo, New York for most of the year 1901. The exposition is remembered by many for the assassination of President William McKinley. The President was shot while visiting the exposition’s Temple of Music, and died eight days later.

25. “Come by and chat at our booth” (Philadelphia, 1876) : TELEPHONE
The Centennial Exposition was the first World’s Fair held in the US. The official name of the event was the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufacturers and Products of the Soil and Mine. It was held in Philadelphia in 1876 to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

27. White Rabbit’s song in “Alice in Wonderland” : I’M LATE
“I’m Late” is a song from the 1951 Disney movie “Alice in Wonderland”, an adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic children’s tale.

30. Early 20th-century Modernist : MAN RAY
Man Ray was an American modernist artist who spent most of his working life in Paris. Man Ray was born in South Philadelphia in 1890, and his real name was Emmanuel Radnitzky. His family adopted the name “Ray” in response to the anti-Semitic feeling that was prevalent at the time. Emmanuel was known as “Manny”, and he decided to assume the name Man Ray and use it for his work.

32. Two-time world figure skating champ Slutskaya : IRINA
Irina Slutskaya is a Russian figure skater. Slutskaya won the World Figure Skating Championships twice, in 2002 and 2005.

41. “You’ve gotta get your hands on this” (Knoxville, 1982) : TOUCHSCREEN
The 1982 World’s Fair was officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition. A 266-foot tall steel structure was built with a huge gold globe on top as the symbol of the fair. This Sunsphere is still standing and is now a symbol for the city of Knoxville.

48. Russian city and oblast : OREL
Orel (also Oryol) is a city lying on the Oka River, just over 200 miles SSW of Moscow. Orel was one of the cities occupied by Germany during WWII. It was liberated in 1943, but had been almost completely destroyed.

49. Thompson of “Family” : SADA
Sada Thompson was an actress from Des Moines, Iowa. Thompson is best known for playing the mother and wife in the eighties television drama series called “Family”.

63. Queens neighborhood : ASTORIA
There are a number of places around the world named “Astoria”, including a neighborhood in New York City. Astoria is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York. The area sits on the East River, and was originally called Hallet’s Cove after the first landowner, William Hallet, who settled there in 1659. The area was renamed Astoria in a deal to get John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the country, to invest $2,000 in the neighborhood. Astor only put up $500 in the end, but the name stuck.

65. Dove’s sign : VEE
One has to be careful making that V-sign depending where you are in the world. Where I came from, the V for victory (or peace) sign has to be made with the palm facing outwards. If the sign is made with the palm facing inwards, it’s a very obscene gesture.

66. Grand ___ : BAHAMA
Grand Bahama is the largest island in the Bahamas chain. It only lies 56 miles off the coast of Florida. The Spanish gave the island the name of “Gran Bajamar”, which means “Great Shallows”.

69. “The fair’s toughest man alive” (New York City, 1939) : HUMANOID ROBOT
The 1939 New York World’s Fair was an exposition with a focus on the future, having an opening slogan of “Dawn of a New Future”. Given the timing of the 1939 Fair (WWII was raging), many of the European staff working their country’s pavilions could not return home. Germany provided an exhibit for the 1939 season of the exposition, but did not attend the 1940 season.

79. “Get the scoop on our new hand-held offering” (St. Louis, 1904) : ICE CREAM CONE
The 1904 World’s Fair was actually called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, as it celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase. There are many claims of “firsts” at the 1904 Fair, and among the list of real “firsts” are the introduction of Dr. Pepper, the ice cream cone and Puffed Wheat! The fair, which ran for much of 1904, was the host for the 1904 Summer Olympic Games, the first to be held in the US.

83. Bob Marley tune made popular by Johnny Nash : STIR IT UP
“Stir It Up” was composed by Bob Marley in 1967, but was a hit for Johnny Nash in 1972. It was Bob Marley’s first successful song outside of his native Jamaica.

86. “Quo Vadis” role : NERO
“Quo Vadis” is an epic drama made in 1951, an adaptation of the 1896 novel of the same name written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. At the top of the bill were Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr, with Peter Ustinov playing the Emperor Nero. There was also an uncredited extra making her first appearance on the screen, a young lady by the name of Sophia Loren.

97. “Starting a giant revolution at the fairgrounds” (Chicago, 1893) : FERRIS WHEEL
Back at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago there were rides and amusements that were all concentrated in one place, away from the exhibition halls. The rides included the world’s first Ferris wheel, and one could also see Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show. All these attractions were located in the mile-long linear park on the South Side of Chicago known as Midway Plaisance. Ever since then, the attractions at any fair have been located at “the midway”.

103. Winter reading, say : TEENS
In the winter, temperatures can get down into the teens.

105. Santa ___ : ANA
Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California and takes its name from the Santa Ana River that runs through the city. The Santa Ana winds are the very dry air currents that sweep offshore late in the year in Southern California. Because these air currents are so dry, they are noted for their influence over forest fires in the area, especially in the heat of the fall. The winds arise from a buildup of air pressure in the Great Basin that lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Under the right conditions, that air spills over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada and basically “falls” down the side of the Sierra range, heading for the ocean. As the air falls it becomes drier and heats up, so that relative humidity can fall to below 10% by the time it hits the coast.

111. It may receive a few pointers : KENNEL
The breed of dog known as a Pointer is also known as the English Pointer. There are other pointing breeds though, dogs that instinctively “point” by stopping and aiming their muzzles at game when hunting. The list of other pointing breeds includes the English Setter and the Irish Setter.

113. Hullabaloo : BEDLAM
Bethlem Royal Hospital is a facility in London in the UK for treating mental illness. The original facility was a hospital way back in the 1300s, and had the name “Bedlam”. In the 1700s and 1800s the hospital actually made money out of its patients as it charged a penny to members of the public allowing them to visit the hospital and view the unfortunate inmates in their cells. Tens of thousands of such paid visits were made each year. Our word “bedlam” meaning uproar and confusion is derived from the hospital’s name, and it reflects the cruel and inhumane treatment endured by the inmates in days gone by.

114. Densest natural element : OSMIUM
Osmium is a metallic element in the platinum family. Osmium is the densest naturally occurring element, and is about twice as dense as lead.

117. “Getting fairgoers moving on the right track” (Paris, 1900) : ESCALATOR
The Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) of 1900 was held in Paris, France. The 1900 fair is remembered for the magnificent entrance arch that was constructed for visitors. That entrance arch was to remain standing for only nine years, but the city decided to keep it and you can visit it today. Today we call that entrance arch the Eiffel Tower.

119. “Now showing our big vision of the future” (Osaka, 1970) : IMAX THEATER
The IMAX Corporation, which is behind the IMAX film format, is a Canadian company. The impetus for developing the system came after Expo ’67 in Montreal. Back then large format screenings were accomplished using multiple projectors with multiple screens, with images basically stitched together. The team behind the IMAX technology set out to simplify things and developed a single-camera, single-projector system.

Expo ‘70 was the held in Suita, Osaka and was the first World’s Fair to be held in Japan. One of the highlights of the fair was a moon rock on display in the US Pavilion, brought back from the moon by Apollo 12 astronauts the preceding year. The world’s first IMAX film was debuted as well, a Canadian production called “Tiger Child”.

124. Designer Pucci : EMILIO
Emilio Pucci was an Italian fashion designer from Florence.

126. Bull run participant? : TORO
Spanish bullfighting is known locally as “corrida de toros”, literally “race of bulls”.

127. “Shepherd Moons” Grammy winner : ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from the Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career. And she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!

129. ___ Daddy (N.B.A. nickname) : SHAQ
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the heaviest players ever to have played in the NBA (weighing in at around 325 pounds). Yep, he’s a big guy … 7 foot 1 inch. He is also the oldest player active in the NBA today, pushing 40 years old.

Down
1. City where Cézanne was born : AIX
Paul Cézanne was a Post-Impressionist artist who was born and worked in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence in the South of France. Cézanne has the reputation of being the artist who bridged the late 19th century Impressionist movement with the early 20th century Cubist movement. Both Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso are quoted as saying that Cézanne “is the father of us all”.

Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful city in the South of France, located just 30 miles north of Marseille. I had the remarkable privilege of living in Aix for two years, definitely two of the happiest years for our family …

2. Bengalese wrap : SARI
Bengal is a region in the northeast of the Indian Subcontinent, lying at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. Bengal is divided between the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.

3. Sermon leader : IMAM
An imam is a Muslim leader, often the one in charge of a mosque or perhaps a Muslim community.

4. Retreats : ASYLA
“Asylum” (plural “asyla”) is a Latin word, meaning “sanctuary”.

5. Like hams : AMATEUR
The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is apparently a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel done up in black-face.

6. Eggnog ingredient : MACE
The fruit of the nutmeg tree yields two very different spices. What we call “nutmeg” comes from the seed of the tree. “Mace” is the dried covering of the seed.

9. Mussorgski’s “Bilder ___ Ausstellung” : EINER
“Bilder einer Ausstellung” is the German name for the Mussorgsky classic “Pictures at an Exhibition”.

“Pictures at an Exhibition” is one of my favorite pieces of music. It is a suite of twelve movements originally created for the piano by Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. Most of the movements represent individual paintings (and vividly so!), works by Mussorgsky’s friend, the architect and artist Viktor Hartmann. Hartmann died unexpectedly at only 39, and soon after there was an exhibition of 400 of his paintings in St. Petersburg. Mussorgsky was inspired to compose his “Pictures at an Exhibition” after having viewed the show.

14. Faulkner’s alma mater : OLE MISS
Ole Miss is the nickname for the University of Mississippi. The name “Ole Miss” dates back to 1897, the first year a student yearbook was published. The graduating class held a competition to name the yearbook, and “Ole Miss” emerged as the winner. The name stuck to the yearbook, and also to the school itself.

William Faulkner is a writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner had been publishing work for thirty years and was largely unknown before he received the Noble Prize for Literature in 1949. He came to despise the fame that came with the award. Even his 17-year-old daughter wasn’t told about his winning of the Nobel Prize, and she had to learn about it at school.

15. “High Hopes” lyricist Sammy : CAHN
Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics for “High Hopes” for the 1959 film “A Hole in the Head”, and the song won an Oscar that year. Frank Sinatra was the star of the movie, and he recorded the most famous version of the song.

16. Greek squares : AGORAE
In early Greece the “agora” was a place of assembly. Often the assemblies held in the agora were quite formal, perhaps for the reading of a proclamation. Later in Greek history, things became less formal as the agora evolved into a market place. Our contemporary word “agoraphobia” comes from these agorae, in the sense that a sufferer has a fear of open spaces, a fear of “public meeting places”.

29. Game with Wild cards : UNO
In my youth I remember being taught a great card game by a German acquaintance of mine, a game called Mau Mau. Years later I discovered that Uno is basically the same game, but played with a purpose-printed deck instead of the regular deck of playing cards that’s used for Mau Mau.

36. Neighbor of Draco and Hercules : LYRA
Lyra is a constellation that includes the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky.

37. Met somebody? : OPERA GOER
The Metropolitan Opera of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

40. Firenze’s place : ITALIA
“Firenze” is the Italian name for the city that we know in English as Florence.

50. ___ Piper : PIED
The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin dates back to medieval times. Recently there have been suggestions that the story is rooted in some truth, that the town of Hamelin did in fact lose many of its children, perhaps to plague. The suggestion is that the tale is an allegory.

51. Part of summer in Santiago : ENERO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (Enero) and ends in December (Diciembre).

53. 2004 Will Smith animated film : SHARK TALE
“Shark Tale” is a DreamWorks Animation feature film released in 2004. The critics didn’t like this one, but it made a ton of money.

55. Online deluge : SPAM
I think that the oft-quoted story may be true that the term SPAM, used for unwanted email, is taken from a “Monty Python” sketch. In the sketch (which I’ve seen) the dialog is taken over by the word SPAM, a play on the glut of canned meat in the markets of Britain after WWII. So “SPAM” is used for the glut of emails that takes over online communication. I can just imagine nerdy Internet types (like me) adopting something from a “Monty Python” sketch to describe an online phenomenon …

57. Aristotle’s “fifth element” : ETHER
The Greek philosopher Empedocles proposed that there are four elements that made up the universe, namely earth, water, air and fire. Aristotle later proposed a fifth element which he called aether (also “ether”). Aether was the divine substance that made up the stars and planets.

60. Fiji alternative : EVIAN
Évian-les-Bains (or simply Évian) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As you might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. I can’t stand the taste of Évian water …

Fiji Water, as you might guess, is a brand of water from the Fiji Islands. I just think that bottling water and sending it around the world is absolutely insane …

61. Mezzo-soprano in “Don Carlos” : EBOLI
Princess Eboli is the mezzo-soprano role in the Verdi opera “Don Carlos”.

“Don Carlo” is an opera by Guiseppe Verdi. The name “Don Carlo” is the name used when the opera is performed in Italian. “Don Carlos” is the title when the work is performed with its original French libretto.

62. Onetime subject of the Mongols : TATAR
Tatars are an ethnic group of people, mainly residing in Russia (a population of about 5 1/2 million). Actor Charles Bronson had a Tatar heritage. His real name was Charles Buchinsky.

68. Viva ___ : VOCE
“Viva voce” translates literally from Latin as “with living voice”, and we use it today to mean “by word of mouth”.

70. Lamar of the N.B.A. : ODOM
Lamar Odom is a basketball forward playing for the LA Lakers. Apparently Odom loves candy, and that’s how he earned his nickname, “The Candy Man”.

92. Actor Bruce : NIGEL
Nigel Bruce was a British actor, best known for playing Dr. Watson in the series of “Sherlock Homes” films starring Basil Rathbone in the title role. Bruce also played an excellent supporting role in the Hitchcock film “Suspicion”. Nigel Bruce lived in Los Angeles, and for years was the captain of the Hollywood Cricket Club. Other members of the club (that still exists today) included Ronald Coleman, Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, David Niven and Sherlock himself, Basil Rathbone.

96. 1972 Bill Withers hit : USE ME
Bill Withers was working as an assembly operator while he was trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. Even as Withers found success with his glorious 1971 single “Ain’t No Sunshine”, he held onto his day job, worried that the music industry was unpredictable.

98. “Romanian Rhapsodies” composer : ENESCO
George Enescu (aka Georges Enesco) was a Romanian composer and performer. Enescu’s most popular works are two “Romanian Rhapsodies” (1901-2) and the opera “Oedipe” (1936).

100. Female counselor : EGERIA
In Roman mythology, Egeria was a water nymph, and counselor to the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius. Egeria’s name has come to be used as a general term for a female advisor.

108. Van ___ of “Timecop” : DAMME
Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian actor and expert in martial arts. Given his background, he is referred to by the nickname “The Muscles from Brussels”.

114. Williams of the Temptations : OTIS
The Temptations used to be known as the Elgins, and were formed in 1960 in Detroit. The group is still performing although only the second tenor, Otis Williams, was part of the original quintet. The Temptations were very much associated with their “sister group”, the Supremes.

115. With 84-Down, a Pac-12 team : UTAH
84. See 115-Down : UTES
The Runnin’ Utes are the basketball team of the University of Utah. The team was given the nickname the Runnin’ Redskins back when Jack Gardner was the head coach from 1953 to 1971. The “Runnin'” part of the name was chosen because Gardner was famous for playing quick offenses. The “Redskins” name was later dropped in favor of the less controversial “Utes”.

120. Year Claudius I became emperor : XLI
I find Claudius to be the most fascinating of all the Roman Emperors. Claudius had a lot going against him as he walked with a limp and was slightly deaf. He was put in office by the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s bodyguards) after Caligula was assassinated. Claudius had very little experience and yet proved to be very forward-thinking and capable.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. One of six World Cup qualifying zones : ASIA
5. Tickles : AMUSES
11. Visit : GO TO
15. Summer getaway : CAMP
19. Pedigree alternative : IAMS
20. Relative of a crow : MAGPIE
21. Shade darker than azure : ANIL
22. Gelatin substitute : AGAR
23. “Get an inside look at our booth” (Buffalo, 1901) : X-RAY MACHINE
25. “Come by and chat at our booth” (Philadelphia, 1876) : TELEPHONE
27. White Rabbit’s song in “Alice in Wonderland” : I’M LATE
28. Do a pit job : REFUEL
30. Early 20th-century Modernist : MAN RAY
31. Whiz : ACE
32. Two-time world figure skating champ Slutskaya : IRINA
33. Card : WIT
34. Back : AGO
35. Thruway warning : SLO
38. Double-check, in a way : AUDIT
41. “You’ve gotta get your hands on this” (Knoxville, 1982) : TOUCHSCREEN
44. “Puts the keys of the future at your fingertips” (Philadelphia, 1876) : TYPEWRITER
47. Inclusive pronoun : HE/SHE
48. Russian city and oblast : OREL
49. Thompson of “Family” : SADA
50. Day spa treatment : PEEL
52. Ones with natural curls? : ASPS
56. Veteran’s award : WAR MEDAL
59. “Bring your dogs to our booth” (Philadelphia, 1876) : HEINZ KETCHUP
63. Queens neighborhood : ASTORIA
65. Dove’s sign : VEE
66. Grand ___ : BAHAMA
67. Transcript meas. : AVG
69. “The fair’s toughest man alive” (New York City, 1939) : HUMANOID ROBOT
73. Run into : RAM
74. Energizes : GOOSES
76. Ore. neighbor : IDA
77. Just for giggles : ON A LARK
79. “Get the scoop on our new hand-held offering” (St. Louis, 1904) : ICE CREAM CONE
83. Bob Marley tune made popular by Johnny Nash : STIR IT UP
86. “Quo Vadis” role : NERO
87. Swarm : TEEM
88. Incredulous reply : WHAT
90. It’s unavoidable : FATE
91. Battalions, e.g. : UNITS
94. “Fairgoers may be in for a shock” (St. Louis, 1904) : WALL OUTLET
97. “Starting a giant revolution at the fairgrounds” (Chicago, 1893) : FERRIS WHEEL
103. Winter reading, say : TEENS
104. Pothook shape : ESS
105. Santa ___ : ANA
106. Muck : GOO
107. Fly without power : GLIDE
109. One that’s hard to get ahold of? : EEL
111. It may receive a few pointers : KENNEL
113. Hullabaloo : BEDLAM
114. Densest natural element : OSMIUM
117. “Getting fairgoers moving on the right track” (Paris, 1900) : ESCALATOR
119. “Now showing our big vision of the future” (Osaka, 1970) : IMAX THEATER
122. Pop ___ : ICON
123. Continue after landing : TAXI
124. Designer Pucci : EMILIO
125. Source of the Hulk’s power : RAGE
126. Bull run participant? : TORO
127. “Shepherd Moons” Grammy winner : ENYA
128. Remove from the stock exchange : DELIST
129. ___ Daddy (N.B.A. nickname) : SHAQ

Down
1. City where Cézanne was born : AIX
2. Bengalese wrap : SARI
3. Sermon leader : IMAM
4. Retreats : ASYLA
5. Like hams : AMATEUR
6. Eggnog ingredient : MACE
7. “Gross!” : UGH
8. Full of life : SPIRITED
9. Mussorgski’s “Bilder ___ Ausstellung” : EINER
10. Judge to be suitable : SEE FIT
11. Bistro dessert : GATEAU
12. First-year law student : ONE-L
13. ‘Fore : ‘TIL
14. Faulkner’s alma mater : OLE MISS
15. “High Hopes” lyricist Sammy : CAHN
16. Greek squares : AGORAE
17. Pull through : MANAGE
18. Hunt for food : PREY ON
24. Colorful parrot : MACAW
26. Small garden : PATCH
29. Game with Wild cards : UNO
33. Sea snail : WHELK
35. Lay away : STOW
36. Neighbor of Draco and Hercules : LYRA
37. Met somebody? : OPERA GOER
39. Sweet-talk, say : DISARM
40. Firenze’s place : ITALIA
42. Part of many a bistro’s name : CHEZ
43. Tennis player’s asset : REACH
45. Group in many a park : ELMS
46. Small energy boost? : RAH
50. ___ Piper : PIED
51. Part of summer in Santiago : ENERO
53. 2004 Will Smith animated film : SHARK TALE
54. Deer hunter : PUMA
55. Online deluge : SPAM
57. Aristotle’s “fifth element” : ETHER
58. Extinguish : DOUSE
60. Fiji alternative : EVIAN
61. Mezzo-soprano in “Don Carlos” : EBOLI
62. Onetime subject of the Mongols : TATAR
64. “Have ___ day” : A NICE
67. Fightin’ : AGIN
68. Viva ___ : VOCE
70. Lamar of the N.B.A. : ODOM
71. Ready to move : ON SALE
72. Fight : BATTLE
75. Pore over : SCOUR
78. Divide : RIFT
80. When some lunches end : AT TWO
81. Go well together : MESH
82. “Gross!” : EWW
84. See 115-Down : UTES
85. Some allergy sources : PETS
89. Nastygrams : HATE MAIL
92. Actor Bruce : NIGEL
93. Sequester : ISOLATE
95. Single-issue publication : ONE-SHOT
96. 1972 Bill Withers hit : USE ME
97. Act like an expert without being one : FAKE IT
98. “Romanian Rhapsodies” composer : ENESCO
99. Bad blood : RANCOR
100. Female counselor : EGERIA
101. Antiquity, once : ELD
102. Like some ponds : LILIED
108. Van ___ of “Timecop” : DAMME
110. Ones with fictional accounts : LIARS
112. “Small” prefix : NANO-
113. Far from aerodynamic : BOXY
114. Williams of the Temptations : OTIS
115. With 84-Down, a Pac-12 team : UTAH
116. “Big” prefix : MEGA
118. Beach souvenir? : TAN
120. Year Claudius I became emperor : XLI
121. Course list abbr. : REQ

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6 thoughts on “0729-12: New York Times Crossword Answers 29 Jul 12, Sunday”

  1. Hi Dennis.

    "Agin" is slang for "against", as in "I'm up agin the wall".

    Not a word I'd use, but it's out there …

    Hope that helps!

  2. Thanks so much for both the correct answers and the reasonings behind them. I have proven the old adage true by learning something new today–especially the origins of Bedlam…good thing we're more enlightened today, albeit marginally so when it comes to mental illness. Thanks again for being so thorough & sharing your font of wisdom.

  3. Hi Queenvon,

    Thanks for the kind words about the blog. You've got to remember though that a lot of this stuff I have to look up and so learn about it the same day as you. Having said that, I did live quite close to Bethlem Hospital so knew about the institution's dark history 🙂

    I hope you can drop by again soon.

Comments are closed.