Last Sunday’s Competition Puzzle
Anyone still looking to unravel the Sunday crossword can check out my solution, which I posted after the competition deadline ended.
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: Peter A. Collins
THEME: None
COMPLETION TIME: 22m 44s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … DAVEY (Dave J), MAYEST (Majest)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
15. Iranian export : TURQUOISE
“Turquoise” is the Old French word for “Turkish”. The name was given to the blue mineral because much of it was brought into Europe from Turkey, although most of the turquoise mines were located in the Khorasan Province of Iran.
16. Actress Hubbard of “Akeelah and the Bee” : ERICA
Erica Hubbard is an actress and model from Chicago. Hubbard’s big recurring role at the moment is on the BET sitcom “Let’s Stay Together”.
“Akeelah and the Bee” is a 2006 movie about a young girl participating in the National Spelling Bee.
18. Goliath’s master of old TV : DAVEY
“Davey and Goliath” is a stop-motion television show for children that aired in the sixties. The lead characters are a young boy called Davey Hansen, and his “talking” dog Goliath. The show was produced by the Lutheran Church of America and so had a spiritual theme.
19. Showiness : ECLAT
Éclat can mean a brilliant show of success, or the applause or accolade that one receives. The word derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.
20. Private chat : TETE A TETE
A “tête-à-tête” is a one-on-one meeting, literally “head-to-head” in French.
22. Ref’s call : TKO
In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).
23. Secret rival : BAN
Ban was the first roll-on deodorant, introduced in 1952. The formulation for Ban is the same as the brand called Mum, the first commercial deodorant, which dates back to the late 1800s.
Secret is an antiperspirant/deodorant made by Procter & Gamble, first introduced in 1956 as a cream that was applied with the fingers (ick!). There followed a roll-on version in 1958, a spray in 1964 and the solid stick in 1978.
24. Santa Maria’s chain : AZORES
The Azores is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic lying about 1,000 miles west of Portugal. The Azores are an autonomous region belonging to Portugal.
25. Number retired for Steve Largent and Jerry Rice : EIGHTY
Steve Largent is a retired American football player who spent the whole of his professional playing career with the Seattle Seahawks. Largent went into politics after retiring from the game and served in the US House of Representatives for eight years representing a district in Oklahoma.
28. One hanging in una iglesia : CRUZ
In Spanish, a cross (cuz) hangs in a church (una iglesia).
30. Truncated parlor piece? : TAT
The word “tattoo” was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.
35. Sitcom mom of Cheyenne and Kyra : REBA
Reba McEntire is a country music singer and television actress. McEntire starred in her own sitcom called “Reba” that aired on the WB and the CW cable channels from 2001 to 2007.
38. “I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it” speaker : MARX
Groucho Marx’s real name was Julius Henry Marx. By the time Groucho started his successful, post-Hollywood career hosting the quiz show “You Bet Your Life”, he was sporting a real mustache. For all his movies, his mustache was painted on with greasepaint.
40. Kewpie doll features : TOPKNOTS
Kewpie dolls were very popular in the early 1900s. The name “kewpie”comes from the Roman god “Cupid”. Kewpie dolls were first produced in Germany (one was mentioned in “The Diary of Anne Frank”), and were made out of bisque, then celluloid and eventually hard plastic. If you have one of the older dolls in your attic, go get it. It might be worth thousands of dollars.
45. Display some guns : FLEX
“Guns” is a slang term for very strong arms or biceps.
47. Fen frequenters : EGRETS
At one time the egret species was in danger of extinction due to excessive hunting driven by the demand for plumes for women’s hats.
49. Painting the town red : ON A JAG
The word “jag” is used to describe periods of unrestrained activity, particularly involving alcohol, and has been in use since the 1800s.
53. It can be felt on felt : NAP
A “nap” is a soft and perhaps fuzzy surface on cloth or leather.
54. Things placed during a political campaign : ROBOCALLS
Political calls, including robocalls, are exempt from regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), so we can’t stop them by putting our numbers on the “Do Not Call Registry”.
56. Two-time Italian prime minister Giuliano : AMATO
Giuliano Amato was Prime Minister of Italy twice, from 1992 to 1993 and from 2000 to 2001.
59. Short, curly hairdo : POODLE CUT
The “poodle cut” hairstyle was popular in the 1950s. The style was a short cut, with the hair permed in very tight curls. One woman who famously sported the poodle cut was First Lady Mamie Eisenhower.
63. Four-bagger : TATER
Apparently, a baseball has long been referred to as a potato, or a “tater”. In the seventies, a long ball started to be called a “long tater”, and from this a home run became a “tater”.
Down
1. Home to Tropicana Field, familiarly : ST PETE
Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball.
3. Detrol prescriber’s field : UROLOGY
Detrol is a brand name for a drug used to treat urinary incontinence.
4. Relative of cerulean : AQUA
Cerulean is a blue color, with the name probably coming from the Latin “caeruleus” meaning “blue”.
7. Passion portrayal : PIETA
Michelangelo’s Pietà can be seen in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Like all images known as the Pietà, the sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus. Michelangelo inscribed his signature along a sash worn by the Virgin, the only time the artist is known to have signed his work.
9. Tale of derring-do : GEST
Our word “gest”, meaning a great deed or an exploit, has been around since about 1300 and comes from the Old French word “geste” meaning the same thing. These days “geste” can also mean “gesture”.
As one might expect, “derring-do” comes from the phrase “daring to do”, which back in the 14th century was written as “dorrying don”.
11. Lyre holder of myth : ERATO
In Greek mythology, Erato was the Muse of Lyric Poetry.
14. Shakespearean might : MAYEST
He might, he mayest …
21. ___ de Lourdes : EAU
“Eau de Lourdes” is water from Lourdes, said to have healing power.
Lourdes is a town in France where a 14-year-old peasant girl reported visions of the Virgin Mary. One of the instructions Mary gave to the girl was to drink water from a nearby spring. A local priest and bishop bought the land where the spring was located and developed it for visitors. This all happened in 1858, and now over 80,000 pilgrims a year visit the site.
23. Abbr. often preceding 29-Down : BYOB
Bring Your Own Beer/Bottle/Booze (BYOB).
27. Competition TV series with versions in over 30 countries : THE X FACTOR
“The X Factor” is another one of Simon Cowell’s TV shows and now a worldwide franchise, a show that searches for talented singers. “The X Factor” is in effect a spin-off the the UK show “Pop Idol” (produced as “American Idol” here in the US). And “The X Factor” is here in America as well. Oh joy …
29. Abbr. often following 23-Down : RSVP
RSVP stands for “Répondez s’il vous plaît”, which is French for “please, answer”.
34. Radon’s lack : ODOR
Radon is a radioactive gas, a byproduct produced when uranium decays naturally in the earth. Radon gas can collect and accumulate in buildings and rooms that are particularly well insulated with very little air exchange. The danger is very real, as radon is listed as the second most frequent cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke.
38. Mahon is its largest city : MINORCA
The island of Minorca in the Mediterranean takes its name from the larger neighboring island of Majorca. The names come from the Latin “Insula Minor” meaning “Minor Island” and “Insula Major” meaning “Major Island”.
42. Some bridge holdings : TENACES
In the wonderful card game of bridge, a tenace is a broken sequence of honor cards, like AQ or KJ.
46. N.Y.C. luggage tag letters : LGA
The accepted three big airports serving New York City are John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR).
Fiorello La Guardia was the Mayor of New York from 1934 to 1945, racking up three full terms in office. The famous airport that bears La Guardia’s name was built at his urging, stemming from an incident that took place while he was in office. He was taking a TWA flight to “New York” and was outraged when the plane landed at Newark Airport, in the state of New Jersey. He demanded that the flight take off again and land at a small airport in Brooklyn. A gaggle of press reporters joined him on the short hop and he gave them a story, urging New Yorkers to support the construction of a new commercial airport within the city’s limits. The new airport, in Queens, opened in 1939 as New York Municipal, often called “LaGuardia” as a nickname. It was officially relabeled as “LaGuardia” in 1947.
50. Work measure : JOULE
James Joule was an English physicist who spent much of his life working in the family brewing business. Joule used his work in the brewery to study the relationship between heat and mechanical work. In honor of his achievements, his name is used for the unit of energy in the International System of Units (the joule).
55. Green org. for women? : LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 lady golfers, and today it is the oldest ongoing women’s sports professional organization in the US.
56. Out of harm’s way, in a way : ALEE
“Alee” is the direction away from the wind. If a sailor points into the wind, he or she is pointing “aweather”.
60. E. Germany, before 1990 : DDR
The former East Germany was known officially as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR).
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Potential misfit : SQUARE PEG
10. Darken : BEDIM
15. Iranian export : TURQUOISE
16. Actress Hubbard of “Akeelah and the Bee” : ERICA
17. Abbot’s attribute : PIOUSNESS
18. Goliath’s master of old TV : DAVEY
19. Showiness : ECLAT
20. Private chat : TETE A TETE
22. Ref’s call : TKO
23. Secret rival : BAN
24. Santa Maria’s chain : AZORES
25. Number retired for Steve Largent and Jerry Rice : EIGHTY
28. One hanging in una iglesia : CRUZ
30. Truncated parlor piece? : TAT
31. Some costume cutouts : EYEHOLES
33. Figure in red : LOSS
35. Sitcom mom of Cheyenne and Kyra : REBA
36. There’s nothing in it : VOID
38. “I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it” speaker : MARX
40. Kewpie doll features : TOPKNOTS
44. What a brat might throw : FIT
45. Display some guns : FLEX
47. Fen frequenters : EGRETS
49. Painting the town red : ON A JAG
51. Crack at a contract : BID
53. It can be felt on felt : NAP
54. Things placed during a political campaign : ROBOCALLS
56. Two-time Italian prime minister Giuliano : AMATO
58. Filler of some cavities : GROUT
59. Short, curly hairdo : POODLE CUT
61. Eye: Prefix : OCULO-
62. Heyday : GOLDEN ERA
63. Four-bagger : TATER
64. Ready to be posted, say : ADDRESSED
Down
1. Home to Tropicana Field, familiarly : ST PETE
2. Rush job : QUICKIE
3. Detrol prescriber’s field : UROLOGY
4. Relative of cerulean : AQUA
5. Body shop concern : RUST
6. Big stretch : EON
7. Passion portrayal : PIETA
8. Spirit : ESSENCE
9. Tale of derring-do : GEST
10. Really brilliant : BEDAZZLING
11. Lyre holder of myth : ERATO
12. Shifts : DIVERTS
13. Lemons are often squeezed into them : ICE TEAS
14. Shakespearean might : MAYEST
21. ___ de Lourdes : EAU
23. Abbr. often preceding 29-Down : BYOB
26. Many a Berliner : HERR
27. Competition TV series with versions in over 30 countries : THE X FACTOR
29. Abbr. often following 23-Down : RSVP
32. Fashionable, some say : LATE
34. Radon’s lack : ODOR
37. Let pass : OKED
38. Mahon is its largest city : MINORCA
39. When it’s approximately : AT ABOUT
41. Dark reddish brown : OXBLOOD
42. Some bridge holdings : TENACES
43. Reputation : STATURE
44. Left behind : FORGOT
46. N.Y.C. luggage tag letters : LGA
48. Thing placed during a political campaign : SPOT AD
50. Work measure : JOULE
52. “… despise not thy mother when she ___”: Proverbs 23:22 : IS OLD
55. Green org. for women? : LPGA
56. Out of harm’s way, in a way : ALEE
57. ___ Journal (magazine) : MEN’S
60. E. Germany, before 1990 : DDR
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Hi Bill,
Happy Birthday, and thanks for the write-up.
– Pete Collins
Hi Pete,
Thank you for the birthday greeting!
And thank you for a yet another nice puzzle. This one just got me in the end. I was obsessing with the word "might" in the context of "power" instead of "may". So I guessed at "MAJEST" as some form of "majesty", a bit of a stretch! Then I had never been exposed to "Davey and Goliath", and so I bit the dust!
But keep 'em coming, Pete!
Bill,
I made the exact same error as you … thanks for the explanation.
Keep up the good work !!!
It's nice to know that my mind wasn't alone in inventing the word "majest" for "might". A lovely word, if it existed …
Thanks for stopping by!