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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: Elayne Cantor & Vic Fleming
THEME: Car Talk … all of the theme answers are parts of a car, each with a cryptic clue:
23A. What Katie Holmes lost in divorce court? : CRUISE CONTROL
28A. Commuter on a crowded bus, e.g.? : REAR BUMPER
55. Epiphany? : HEADLIGHT
69A. What “Send” triggers? : AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
80A. Legal proceeding over a meth bust? : CRANKCASE
110A. Smell of sour milk? : TURN SIGNAL
118A. Bling-bling? : HOOD ORNAMENTS
COMPLETION TIME: 43m 31s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … NET (vet), SION (Siov!)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. First name in the White House : BARACK
President Obama’s first name, Barack, is Swahili with roots in an old Arabic word meaning “blessed”. Barack was the President’s father’s name. President Obama’s middle name is Hussein, an Arabic word meaning “good” or “handsome one”. Hussein was the name of the President’s grandfather on the paternal side. His surname, Obama, doesn’t really have a translation, but is common among the Luo tribe of Kenya.
19. Start of a seasonal song : ADESTE
The lovely hymn “Adeste Fideles” (aka “O Come, All Ye Faithful”) was written by one John Francis Wade in the 13th century. Well, he wrote the original four verses, with four more verses being added over time.
23. What Katie Holmes lost in divorce court? : CRUISE CONTROL
Tom Cruise’s real name is Tom Cruise Mapother IV. Cruise was born in Syracuse, New York, one of my favorite cities in the US.because that’s where I met my wife-to-be …
Katie Holmes is an actress who first came to prominence in the television drama “Dawson’s Creek”. Off screen she is famous as the ex-wife of Tom Cruise.
26. Money of Laos : KIP
The kip has been the unit of currency in Laos since 1952.
30. Huck Finn’s father : PAP
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was first published in 1884, not here in the US but rather in England. The original launch planned for the US had to be delayed until the following year because some rascal had defaced the plate for one of the illustrations, making an obscene joke. Once the problem was spotted a new plate had to be made and 30,000 copies already printed had to be reworked to cover up the obscenity.
31. Knicks venue, for short : MSG
Madison Square Garden is an arena in New York City used for a variety of events. In the world of sports it is home to the New York Rangers of the NHL, as well as the New York Knicks of the NBA. “The Garden” is also the third busiest music venue in the world in terms of ticket sales.
33. “Sing of old ___ and the ancient ways”: Yeats : EIRE
“Sing of old Eire and the ancient ways” is a line from the W. B. Yeats poem “To the Rose Upon the rood of Time”
Irish poet and dramatist William Butler Yeats won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, for “inspired poetry” that gave “expression to a whole nation”. He was the first Irishman so honored.
34. Prefix with -meter : ANEMO-
An anemometer is an instrument for measuring the speed of wind. The most common form of anemometer is the one with four hemispherical cups that rotate faster as wind speed increases.
40. 1946 Best Supporting Actor nominee William : DEMAREST
The actor William Dearest won the 1946 best supporting actor for his performance in “The Jolson Story”.
Uncle Charley on the TV sitcom “My Three Sons” was played by two actors over the life of the show. The role was originated by William Frawley, but he had to drop out due to failing health. William Demarest took over in 1965 and played Uncle Charlie right through the end of the show’s run in 1972.
46. Leon who won a Pulitzer for his biography of Henry James : EDEL
Leon Edel wrote a highly respected biography of author Henry James, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize.
47. Actor Patel of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” : DEV
Dev Matel is an actor from Harrow in England. Patel is best known for playing the lead in the hit movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. Most recently I saw him a lovely 2012 film called “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” alongside an incredible cast that included Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson.
48. Dealy-bobs : GIZMOS
The word “gizmo” (also “gismo”) was originally slang used by both the US Navy and the Marine Corps, but the exact origin seems unknown. Nowadays, “gizmo” is a general term used for a device or a part when the correct name escapes one (so I use it a lot …). Oh, and Gizmo is the name of the dog belonging to my son and his fiancee.
51. Digit in military lingo : NINER
“Niner” is the way one might say the number “9” in radio-telephony, and in the military.
64. Strep treater, for short : ENT
An Ear, Nose and Throat specialist is an ENT.
Streptococcus bacteria multiply and divide along a single axis so that they form linked chains. That behavior gives the genus of bacteria its name, as “streptos” is Greek for “easily twisted, like a chain”. I had a battle with streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) recently and it was not at all pleasant, I must say. Another species of streptococcus is responsible for that terrible “flesh-eating” infection that makes the news from time to time.
66. “Dreaming of You” singer : SELENA
Singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known professionally simply as “Selena”, was murdered in 1995 by the president of her own fan club at the height of her career. In a 1997 biopic about Selena’s life, Jennifer Lopez played the title role.
68. Sholem Aleichem protagonist : TEVYE
The enduring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is based on a collection of stories by Sholem Alecheim about Tevye, a milkman in Tsarist Russia. The musical version of the tales first opened on Broadway in 1964. “Fiddler on the Roof” had such a long run that it became the first musical to reach 3,000 performances.
77. They tend IVs : RNS
Registered nurses are RNs.
78. Judea’s ___ the Great : HEROD
Herod the Great was made King of the Roman province of Judea (now the southern part of Israel). Herod the Great’s son was Herod Antipas, the Herod who appears in the New Testament in the stories of the execution of Jesus of Nazareth and John the Baptist.
80. Legal proceeding over a meth bust? : CRANKCASE
In most internal combustion engines the pistons that move up and down are arranged in a line, and connected to a crankshaft that runs along the bottom of the engine. The up and down motion of the pistons turns the crankshaft, which turning motion is “transmitted” (via the transmission) to the wheels. The case surrounding the crankshaft is called the crankcase. The crankcase contains a lot of oil that is squirted onto the crankshaft to lubricate it. Excess oil falls to the bottom of the crankcase and into a reservoir called the oil pan.
“Crank” is a street name used for the drug methamphetamine, also called “meth” and “crystal meth”.
83. Hero makers : DELIS
“Hero” is another name for a submarine sandwich. The hero originated in New York City in the 1800s among Italian immigrants who wanted an Italian sandwich that reminded them of home. The name “hero” was first coined in the 1930s, supposedly by a food critic in the “New York Herald Tribune” when he wrote that “one had to be a hero” to finish the gigantic sandwich. Hero is a prevalent term to this day in New York City, reserved for a submarine sandwich with an Italian flavor.
92. Gen. Robt. ___ : E LEE
Robert E. Lee is of course renowned as a southern officer in the Civil War. Lee was a somewhat reluctant participant in that he opposed the secession of his home state of Virginia from the Union. At the beginning of the war, President Lincoln invited Lee to take command of the whole Union Army but Lee declined, choosing instead to stay loyal to his home state.
101. Vice-presidential family : BIDENS
Vice President Joe Biden was a US Senator representing the state of Delaware from 1973 until he joined the Obama administration. While he was a senator, Vice President Biden commuted to Washington from Wilmington, Delaware almost every working day. He was such an active customer and supporter of Amtrak that the Wilmington Station was renamed as the Joseph R. Biden Railroad Station in 2011. Biden has made over 7,000 trips from that station, and the Amtrak crews were known to even hold the last train for a few minutes so that he could catch it. Biden earned himself the nickname “Amtrak Joe”.
107. Theologian Johann : ECK
During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries, as Martin Luther was attacking the policies of the Catholic Church, Johann Eck was one of the leading defenders of Catholicism. The two had public debates, with Luther generally coming out ahead.
113. English king ___ the Peaceful : EDGAR
Edgar the Peaceful was King of England from 959 to 975. Edgar was known as “the Peaceful” not because of his style of rule, but because his reign was a period of relative peace.
123. Wild equine of 79-Across : ONAGER
The onager is also known as the Asiatic wild ass. The onager is a little larger than a donkey, and looks like a cross between a donkey and a horse. One characteristic of the onager is that is remarkably “untamable”.
124. Company with a 2004 I.P.O. : GOOGLE
Google is the most used search engine on the Internet. The Google site now receives over one billion queries every single day. Google.com is the most visited website on the Internet.
126. ABC, e.g., in Variety-speak : NET
I think the idea here is that according to “Variety” magazine, a television network like ABC might be called a “net”.
Down
2. One-named Brazilian soccer star : ADRIANO
Adriano Leite Ribeiro is a Brazilian soccer player who usually goes just by the name “Adriano”. I hear that his performance on the field tends to be a little inconsistent.
5. Price abbr. : CTS
This one foxes me. CTS … cost to serve?
Oops! Someone just pointed out that “cents” are abbreviated “cts.” Don’t I feel foolish …
7. ___ McAn shoes : THOM
Thom McAn footwear was introduced in 1922 by the Melville Corporation (now CVS Caremark). The brand was named after a Scottish golfer called Thomas McCann. The Thom McAn line is epitomized by the comfortable leather casual and dress shoe, so sales have really been hurt in recent decades by the growing popularity of sneakers.
10. Elongated swimmer : GAR
The fish known as a gar is very unusual in that it is often found in very brackish water. What is interesting about gar is that their swim bladders are vascularized so that they can actually function as lungs. So many species of gar can be seen coming to the surface and taking a gulp of air. This adaptation makes it possible for them to live in conditions highly unsuitable for other fish that rely on their gills to get oxygen out of the water. Indeed, quite interesting …
11. Ancient assembly sites : AGORAS
In early Greece the “agora” was a place of assembly. Often the assemblies held there 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”.
12. Genesis man who lived 239 years : PELEG
In the Hebrew Bible, Peleg is one of the ancestors of the Israelites. Peleg lived to the ripe old age of 239 years. Today in Israel, Peleg is a common family name.
14. Dual-___ : CARB
The carburetor is a device in an internal combustion engine that has the job of blending air and fuel prior to combustion. When you hit the accelerator on a car, you’re not actually directly controlling the amount of fuel going to the engine. Instead, you’re controlling the amount of air that the carburetor gets. The carburetor then sucks in the amount of fuel it needs for efficient combustion.
15. Shade akin to almond : ECRU
The shade called ecru is a grayish, yellowish brown. The word “ecru” comes from French and means “raw, unbleached”. “Ecru” has the same roots as our word “crude”.
17. Weavers’ willows : OSIERS
Most willows (trees and shrubs of the genus Salix) are called just that, willows. Some of the broad-leaved shrub varieties are called sallow, and the narrow-leaved shrubs are called osier. The variety known as osier is commonly used in basketry, as osier twigs are very flexible.
29. Iago, to Othello : AIDE
Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. Iago is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. He hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdomona, Othello’s wife. By the end of the play it’s Iago himself who is discredited and Othello (before committing suicide) apologizes to Cassio for having believed Iago’s lies. Heavy stuff …
31. Word before A or T : MODEL
The Ford Model A was the original car produced by the Ford Motor Company. The first production run lasted from 1903 to 1904, when it was replaced by the Model C. The name “Model A” was brought back in 1927 and used for the successor to the Model T.
The Ford Model T was the first really affordable car that was offered for sale, and it was produced from 1908 to 1927. It was the Model T that ushered in the era of assembly line production, which greatly cut down the cost of manufacture. The Model T’s engine was designed to run on petrol, kerosene or ethanol.
32. Side of a road : BERM
A berm is narrow ledge, usually at the top or bottom of a slope. The name “berm” is also used as the shoulder of a road in some parts of the United States.
35. California’s Harvey ___ College : MUDD
Harvey Mudd was a mining engineer, and president of Cyprus Mines Corporation. He lent his name to Harvey Mudd College, a science and engineering college in Claremont, California.
38. Life after death? : OBIT
“Obituary” comes from the Latin “obituaris”, originally the word for the record of a death of a person, although the literal meaning is “pertaining to death”.
39. Looney Tunes toon, informally : TAZ
The carnivorous marsupial known as the Tasmanian devil is aptly named, in the sense that the only place the animal is found in the wild is on the island of Tasmania. The “little devils” are about the size of a small dog, and they have the strongest bite for their size of any known mammal.
44. “The Lady’s Got Potential” musical : EVITA
“Evita” was the followup musical to “Jesus Christ Superstar” by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Time Rice. Both of these works were originally released as album musicals, and very successful ones at that (I remember buying the albums when they first came out). For the original album’s cast of “Evita” they chose Irish singer Colm Wilkinson (or C. T. Wilkinson, as we know him back in Ireland) to play “Che”, the narrator of the piece.
49. Unglazed ceramic jars : OLLAS
An olla is a traditional clay pot used for the making of stews.
53. Mozart’s Donna ___ : ELVIRA
Donna Elvira is a soprano part in Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni”.
“Don Giovanni” is a comic opera by Mozart, with the libretto in Italian by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The opera follows the adventures of Don Giovanni, a young rakish nobleman who finally comes to a bad end.
54. Synthetic fabrics : RAYONS
Rayon is a little unusual in the textile industry in that it is not truly a synthetic fiber, but nor can it be called a natural fiber. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring cellulose that is dissolved and then reformed into fibers.
58. “We ___ Get Out of This Place” : GOTTA
The Animals were a band from Newcastle in England who made it big in America as part of the British Invasion. The big hit for the Animals was “The House of the Rising Sun”from 1964, but their 1965 release “We Gotta Get out of This Place” had a lot of success too, largely due to the Vietnam War. The lyrics really, really resonated with the GIs fighting in Southeast Asia, for obvious reasons. The song was used on movie and TV show soundtracks to recreate that “rush to the door” sentiment, and it features on the TV series’ “China Beach” and “Tour of Duty”, as well as in the 1987 movie “Hamburger Hill”.
61. About 90% of its land is owned communally : SAMOA
The official name for the South Pacific country is the Independent State of Samoa. “Samoa” is the western part of the island group, with American Samoa lying to the southeast. The whole group of islands used to be known as Navigators Island, a name given by European explorers in recognition of the seafaring skills of the native Samoans.
70. One-sixth of a drachma : OBOL
An obol is also known as an obolus. The obol was a silver coin used in Greece that was worth one sixth of a drachma.
71. Borgia enemy : MEDICI
The House of Medici was a dynasty from the the Italian Republic of Florence. The Medici family went into the world of finance and built the largest bank in Europe in the 15th century. Significantly, the Medicis produced four Popes around this time, and then the family moved from the status of common citizens to become hereditary Dukes of Florence. By the middle of the 18th century the family ruled the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, but ended up fiscally bankrupt.
The Borgias were a Papal family that was very prominent during the Renaissance in Europe. Two of the Borgias became popes: Pope Caxtius III and Pope Alexander VI.
72. ___ Pet : CHIA
Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family, and the Chia Pet is an invention of a San Francisco company. Chia Pets are terracotta figurines to which are applied moistened chia seeds. The seeds sprout and as they grew the seedlings become the “fur” of the Chia Pet.
73. Greek architectural style : IONIC
An Ionic column is relatively ornate. It usually has grooves running up and down its length and at the top there is a “scroll” design called a “volute”. The scroll design makes it a popular inclusion in academic buildings.
80. Northern Plains people : CREE
The Cree are one of the largest groups of Native Americans on the continent. In the US most of the Cree nation live in Montana on a reservation shared with the Ojibwe people. In Canada most of the Cree live in Manitoba.
84. Spanish direction : SUR
“Sur” is Spanish for “south”.
87. Local council member: Abbr. : ALD
The term “alderman” comes from English law, and is used for a member of a municipal assembly or council. In some locations in the US some cities have a Board of Aldermen instead of a city council.
95. Pauline work : EPISTLE
By definition, an epistle is a writing sent by one person to a group of people, with the name “epistle” coming from the Greek word for “a letter”. The 21 epistles of the New Testament are letters from various of the Apostles to groups of Christians, with most of them being written by Paul.
96. Ones reliant on the local blood supply : TSETSES
Tsetse flies live on the blood of vertebrate mammals. The name “tsetse” comes from Tswana, a language of southern Africa, and translates simply as “fly”. Tsetse flies are famous for being carriers of the disease known as “sleeping sickness”. Sleeping sickness is caused by a parasite which is passed onto humans when the tsetse fly bites into human skin tissue. If one considers all the diseases transmitted by the insect, then the tsetse fly is responsible for a staggering quarter of a million deaths each year.
98. Dramamine user’s fear : NAUSEA
Dramamine is a brand name for dimenhydrinate, a drug used to counteract motion sickness.
100. ___ Landing (part of Philadelphia) : PENN’S
Penn’s Landing along the Delaware river in Philadelphia is a waterfront area named for William Penn, the city’s founder. Penn landed near Penn’s Landing when he first arrived in the area.
102. One of the Lennons : SEAN
Sean Lennon is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sean’s godfather is Elton John.
106. Company with a 1996 I.P.O. : YAHOO
Jerry Yang and David Filo called their company “Yahoo!” for two reasons. Firstly, a Yahoo is a rude, unsophisticated brute from Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. Secondly, Yahoo stands for “Yet another Hierarchical Officious Oracle”.
111. Capital of the Swiss canton of Valais : SION
Sion is the capital of Valais, a canton in the southwest of Switzerland.
115. Toy warnings? : GRRS
A toy breed of dog might say “grr!”
120. Skiing gold medalist Tommy : MOE
Tommy Moe was the first American male skier to win two medals in a single Winter Olympics, in 1994 at Lillehammer in Norway. It was considered a surprise result, as Moe had up to that point not won a single World Cup race.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. First name in the White House : BARACK
7. Old Navy’s owner : THE GAP
13. Dandy : ACE
16. Like one battery terminal: Abbr. : POS
19. Start of a seasonal song : ADESTE
20. Tribute : HOMAGE
21. Source of some intolerance : LACTOSE
23. What Katie Holmes lost in divorce court? : CRUISE CONTROL
25. Unsteady : ERRATIC
26. Money of Laos : KIP
27. Shoots in the foot : LAMES
28. Commuter on a crowded bus, e.g.? : REAR BUMPER
30. Huck Finn’s father : PAP
31. Knicks venue, for short : MSG
32. Throw in the towel : BAG IT
33. “Sing of old ___ and the ancient ways”: Yeats : EIRE
34. Prefix with -meter : ANEMO-
36. Some modern memos : ENOTES
40. 1946 Best Supporting Actor nominee William : DEMAREST
43. Bro’s greeting : YO, DUDE
45. Beam of support : I-BAR
46. Leon who won a Pulitzer for his biography of Henry James : EDEL
47. Actor Patel of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” : DEV
48. Dealy-bobs : GIZMOS
51. Digit in military lingo : NINER
55. Epiphany? : HEADLIGHT
59. Some August newborns : LEOS
62. Slaw, e.g. : SALAD
64. Strep treater, for short : ENT
65. Preschooler : TOT
66. “Dreaming of You” singer : SELENA
68. Sholem Aleichem protagonist : TEVYE
69. What “Send” triggers? : AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
74. Family : TRIBE
75. Giggles : TEHEES
76. Noise in a nest : COO
77. They tend IVs : RNS
78. Judea’s ___ the Great : HEROD
79. Home for a 123-Across : ASIA
80. Legal proceeding over a meth bust? : CRANKCASE
83. Hero makers : DELIS
85. Programming behind computer pop-ups : ADWARE
88. “___ second” : IN A
89. 1950s coup site : CUBA
92. Gen. Robt. ___ : E LEE
93. Thickly cover : CARPET
97. With one’s heart, if nothing else : IN SPIRIT
101. Vice-presidential family : BIDENS
103. TV excerpts : CLIPS
104. Spot for a farm laborer’s sunburn : NAPE
105. More lighthearted : GAYER
107. Theologian Johann : ECK
109. Potentially slanderous remark : LIE
110. Smell of sour milk? : TURN SIGNAL
113. English king ___ the Peaceful : EDGAR
116. Suffix with balloon or cartoon : -IST
117. Harebrained : ASININE
118. Bling-bling? : HOOD ORNAMENTS
122. Bleepers : CENSORS
123. Wild equine of 79-Across : ONAGER
124. Company with a 2004 I.P.O. : GOOGLE
125. Word before sale or after sales : TAG
126. ABC, e.g., in Variety-speak : NET
127. Feared folklore figure : OGRESS
128. Picks up : SENSES
Down
1. Wrongful discharge award : BACK PAY
2. One-named Brazilian soccer star : ADRIANO
3. Extended one’s stint : REUPPED
4. “___ said …” : AS I
5. Price abbr. : CTS
6. Bases for boats : KEELS
7. ___ McAn shoes : THOM
8. Practice, as skills : HONE
9. 911 V.I.P.’s : EMTS
10. Elongated swimmer : GAR
11. Ancient assembly sites : AGORAS
12. Genesis man who lived 239 years : PELEG
13. Tipped off : ALERTED
14. Dual-___ : CARB
15. Shade akin to almond : ECRU
16. Round entree : POT PIE
17. Weavers’ willows : OSIERS
18. Diary tidbit : SECRET
22. Circus employee : TAMER
24. Lock up : CAGE
29. Iago, to Othello : AIDE
31. Word before A or T : MODEL
32. Side of a road : BERM
35. California’s Harvey ___ College : MUDD
37. Some sleepwear : NIGHTIES
38. Life after death? : OBIT
39. Looney Tunes toon, informally : TAZ
41. Restroom sign : MEN
42. Preferred groups : A-LISTS
44. “The Lady’s Got Potential” musical : EVITA
49. Unglazed ceramic jars : OLLAS
50. Comprehended : SEEN
52. Scottish turndowns : NAES
53. Mozart’s Donna ___ : ELVIRA
54. Synthetic fabrics : RAYONS
55. ___ bar : HEATH
56. Accustomed (to) : ENURED
57. Coat and tie, e.g. : ATTIRE
58. “We ___ Get Out of This Place” : GOTTA
60. Viewed remotely? : ONSCREEN
61. About 90% of its land is owned communally : SAMOA
63. Like dunderheads : DENSE
66. Lieu : STEAD
67. Odist’s “before” : ERE
70. One-sixth of a drachma : OBOL
71. Borgia enemy : MEDICI
72. ___ Pet : CHIA
73. Greek architectural style : IONIC
80. Northern Plains people : CREE
81. Facility : KNACK
82. Lenny’s friend on “The Simpsons” : CARL
84. Spanish direction : SUR
86. Dam that aids in fish-catching : WEIR
87. Local council member: Abbr. : ALD
90. Number-one : BIGGEST
91. ___ all-time high : AT AN
94. Pier group? : PILINGS
95. Pauline work : EPISTLE
96. Ones reliant on the local blood supply : TSETSES
97. Whole : INTACT
98. Dramamine user’s fear : NAUSEA
99. Oasis, often : SPRING
100. ___ Landing (part of Philadelphia) : PENN’S
101. Fit in : BELONG
102. One of the Lennons : SEAN
106. Company with a 1996 I.P.O. : YAHOO
108. Rock-climbing challenges : CRAGS
111. Capital of the Swiss canton of Valais : SION
112. About : IN RE
113. Nose out : EDGE
114. Effectuates : DOES
115. Toy warnings? : GRRS
119. It fits in a lock : OAR
120. Skiing gold medalist Tommy : MOE
121. Almost forever : EON
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