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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: Gareth Bain
THEME: Where It’s At … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase with IT replaced with AT:
18A. Second of two spouses? : LATTER MATE (from “littermate”)
23A. Nest? : HATCHING POST (from “hitching post”)
39A. Wing or fang? : BAT PART (from “bit part”)
51A. Like a good quilt maker? : PATCH PERFECT (from “pitch perfect”)
62A. Happening place … or a hint to 18-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across? : WHERE IT‘S AT
COMPLETION TIME: 8m 20s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Big truck maker : MACK
Mack Trucks was founded by John Mack in the early 1900s, after he had spent some years working in companies that made carriages and electric motor cars. Along with his two brothers, Mack started their company to focus on building heavy-duty trucks and engines.
10. Alcohol typically drunk warm : SAKE
We refer to the Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice as “sake”. We’ve gotten things a bit mixed up in the West. “Sake” is actually the word that the Japanese use for all alcoholic drinks. What we know as sake, we sometimes refer to as “rice wine”. It is indeed made from rice, but it is a brewed rather than fermented and so is more like a beer than a wine.
14. Jai ___ : ALAI
Even though jai alai is often said to be the fastest sport in the world because of the speed of the ball, in fact golf balls usually get going at a greater clip.
16. Operating system since 1969 : UNIX
I always think of an operating system as that piece of software that sits between the hardware on my computer and the programs that I choose to run. Developers of application programs don’t really have to worry about being able to “talk to” the countless different types of hardware found in the wide variety of computers that are manufactured, they just need to talk to the handful of operating systems that are out there, like Windows, MAC and Unix. The operating system takes care of the rest.
17. Civil wrong : TORT
The word “tort” is a French word meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. Tort law is generally about negligence, when the action of one party causes injury to another but that action falls outside of the scope of criminal law.
20. Addams who created “The Addams Family” : CHAS
Chas Addams was a cartoonist. Addams didn’t draw a cartoon strip but rather individual cartoons, although many of his cartoons did feature regular characters. His most famous characters were the members of the Addams Family, who were published in single-panel cartoons between 1938 and 1988 in “The New Yorker”. The Addams Family moved onto the small and big screens starting in 1964.
21. Seoul-based automaker : KIA
Kia Motors is the second largest manufacturer of cars in South Korea, behind Hyundai (and Hyundai is a part owner in Kia now). In recent years, Kia has focused on sales into Europe, and has been remarkably successful.
22. One of the “She’s Gone” singers : OATES
“She’s Gone” is a song written and recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates in 1973, and later by the band Tavares.
Daryl Hall & John Oates are a pop music duo, most successful in the late seventies and early eighties. They had six number one hits, including the 1982 release “Maneater”.
32. Mythological debauchee : SATYR
The satyrs of Greek mythology came with a very high sex drive. They are the “rude” male subjects drawn on the side of old Greek vases. The nubile maidens known as nymphs were often an object of attention for the satyrs.
37. Repeated lyric in “Java Jive” : A CUP
“Java Jive” is a song released by the Ink Spots in 1940.
42. The “E” in B.C.E. : ERA
The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.
43. Pearl Mosque home : AGRA
The Moti Masjid in Agra, India is also known as the Pearl Mosque, reflecting the fact that the building’s beautiful white facade shines like a pearl. The Moti Masjid was built by the Shah Jahan, the same emperor who built Agra’s most famous structure, the Taj Mahal.
45. Paul Kruger of Krugerrand fame, e.g. : BOER
The Krugerrand is a gold coin minted in South Africa. The coin takes its name from the Rand, the South African unit of currency, and Paul Kruger, the President of the South African Republic whose face appears on the obverse of the coin. The Krugerrand is made from a gold alloy that is almost 92% pure i.e. 22 karats.
48. City destroyed by Mount Vesuvius : POMPEII
The ancient city of Pompeii is situated close to Naples in Italy. Pompeii was destroyed in AD 79 by the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius. The city was completely lost from that time, and was only rediscovered in 1748. Excavations have uncovered the remarkably well-preserved buildings and roads, and Pompeii now attracts over 2 million visitors annually.
50. Cross shape : TAU
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.
57. Book often stored horizontally : ATLAS
We call a book of maps an “atlas” after a collection of maps published by the famous Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator. Mercator’s collection contained a frontispiece with an image of Atlas the Titan from Greek mythology holding up the world on his shoulders. That image gave us our term “atlas”.
66. Certain Iroquoian : ERIE
The Erie people were Native Americans who lived on the south shore of Lake Erie. The Erie lost out in wars with the Iroquois in the 1700s. The remnants of the Erie people were absorbed into neighboring tribes.
68. “___ is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”: Aristotle : LOVE
Aristotle was actually a student of Plato in Ancient Greece (and in turn, Plato was a student of Socrates). Aristotle’s most famous student was Alexander the Great.
69. Like some people’s citizenships : DUAL
That would be like me …
70. Entrance hall : FOYER
“Foyer” is a French word that we’ve imported into English. In French, “foyer” is used for what we would call a “green room”, a place where actors can gather when not on stage or on set.
71. Wilson of “Meet the Parents” : OWEN
The actor Owen Wilson was nominated for an Oscar, but not for his acting. Wilson was nominated for co-writing the screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” along with Wes Anderson.
“Meet the Parents” is a funny comedy released in 2000, starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. “Meet the Parents” is actually a remake of a 1992 film of the same name that enjoyed less success.
Down
1. Success story for Cupid : MATCH
Cupid is the god of desire and erotic love in Roman mythology. The Greek counterpart of Cupid is Eros.
2. Island greeting : ALOHA
The Hawaiian word “Aloha” has many meanings in English: affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. More recently “aloha” has come to mean “hello” and “goodbye”, but only since the mid-1800s.
3. Gemologist’s weight : CARAT
A carat is a unit of mass used in measuring gemstones and is equal to 200 mg.
4. Tastelessly artistic : KITSCHY
“Kitsch” is a German word, an adjective that means “gaudy, trash”.
5. “Home Alone” child star : CULKIN
“Home Alone” is a 1990 film starring Macaulay Culkin that has become a Christmas classic. Culkin was nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for his performance, the youngest actor ever to be so honored.
6. Lightning Bolt? : USAIN
Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.
9. St.-Tropez season : ETE
One might spend the summer (été) under the sun (le soleil) in France.
Saint-Tropez is a town in southeastern France on the French Riviera. These days, Saint-Tropez is very much associated with the European and American jet set.
10. Home to many orangutans : SUMATRA
Sumatra is a very large island in western Indonesia, the sixth largest island in the world and home to 22% of the country’s population.
Orangutans are arboreal creatures, in fact the largest arboreal animals known to man. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, living in the rain forests. Like most species in rain forests these days, orangutans are endangered, with only two species surviving. The word “orangutan” is Malay, meaning “man of the forest”.
13. The Gabor sisters had many : EXES
Magda Gabor was the elder sister of Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor. Like her sisters, Magda was an actress and socialite. Magda married six times in all. Her most famous husband was probably the fifth, the English actor George Sanders.
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian American actress, born in Budapest as Sári Gábor (the older sister of the actress Eva). Zsa Zsa Gabor has been married a whopping nine times, including a 5-year stint with Conrad Hilton and another 5 years with the actor George Sanders. One of Gabor’s famous quips was that she was always a good housekeeper, as after every divorce she kept the house!
Eva Gabor was the youngest of the Gabor sisters, all three of whom were celebrated Hollywood actresses and socialites (her siblings were Zsa-Zsa and Magda). The Gabor sisters were born in Budapest and immigrated to the United States separately, with Eva being the first to arrive. Eva broke into movies, but her most famous role was on the TV sitcom “Green Acres” in which she played the lovely character Lisa Douglas opposite Eddie Albert. One of Eva’s claims to fame is the unwitting promotion of the game called “Twister”, the sales of which were languishing in 1996. In an appearance on “The Tonight Show” she got on all fours and played the game with Johnny Carson. Sales took off immediately, and Twister became a huge hit.
19. Monte ___ (one of the Alps) : ROSA
Monte Rosa is the highest mountain in Switzerland and the second highest peak in the Alps (after Mont Blanc).
24. ___ Alpert & the Tijuana Brass : HERB
Herb Alpert still plays the trumpet today, but he is also a talented painter and sculptor. His works are seen regularly in exhibitions all around the world.
30. Continental currency : EURO
The European Union (EU) today stands at a membership of 27 states. The Euro is the official currency of only 16 of the 27. The list of states in the EU that don’t use the Euro includes the UK, Denmark and Sweden.
31. Boom or gaff : SPAR
On a sailboat, the boom is the spar that runs along the bottom of a sail.
Some sailing vessels have what’s called a gaff-rig. The main sail in such a configuration has four corners, and the spar at the top side of the sail is known as a gaff.
32. “Days,” for one : SOAP
As almost everyone knows, the original soap operas were radio dramas back in the fifties. Given the structure of society back then, the daytime broadcasts were aimed at housewives working in the home. For some reason the sponsors of those radio shows, and the television shows that followed, were soap manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Lever Brothers. And that’s how the “soap” opera got its name …
NBC’s “Days of Our Lives” is the second-longest running soap opera on US television, second only to “General Hospital”. “Days …” has been aired since November 1965.
33. Oscar-winning film set in Iran : ARGO
“Argo” is a 2012 movie that is based on the true story of the rescue of six diplomats hiding out during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The film was directed by and stars Ben Affleck and is produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, the same pair who produced the excellent “Good Night, and Good Luck”. I saw “Argo” recently and recommend it highly, although I found the scenes of religious fervor pretty frightening …
35. Follower of Zeno : STOIC
Zeno of Citium was a Greek philosopher famous for teaching at the Stoa Poikile (Painted Porch) located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. Because of the location of his classes, his philosophy became known as stoicism (from “stoa” meaning “porch”). And yes, we get our adjective “stoic” from the same root.
47. Mark of “The Kids Are All Right” : RUFFALO
Mark Ruffalo is a Hollywood actor from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Ruffalo’s most successful role was in the 2010 film “The Kids Are All Right”, a role for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
“The Kids Are All Right” is an entertaining 2010 movie with a fabulous cast that includes Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Mia Wasikowska. Bening and Moore play a lesbian couple, with each of them having given birth to a child using the same sperm donor. Ruffalo plays the sperm donor, and Wasikowska plays the elder of the two children.
52. Like some pudding and retreats : HASTY
“Hasty pudding” is a traditional British dish made of wheat flour cooked in boiling milk or water. Over in the US there are variants of hasty pudding that are based on wheat, oat and corn.
56. 12-year-old, e.g. : TWEEN
The term “tween” is now used to describe preadolescence, the years between 10 and 12 years of age.
59. “Star Wars” princess : LEIA
Princess Leia was played by Carrie Fisher in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Carrie Fisher has stated that she hated the famous “cinnamon bun hairstyle” that she had to wear in the films, as she felt it made her face look too round. She also had to to sit for two hours every day just to get her hair styled. Two hours to get your hair done? It takes me just two seconds …
63. Global lending org. : IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was established at the end of 1945 with 29 major economies supporting and funding an effort to stabilize economies across the globe after WWII. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., today the IMF has 187 member countries.
64. Eastern “way” : TAO
The Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Tao signifies the true nature of the world.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Big truck maker : MACK
5. Blasphemous cry : CURSE
10. Alcohol typically drunk warm : SAKE
14. Jai ___ : ALAI
15. “___ or lose …” : USE IT
16. Operating system since 1969 : UNIX
17. Civil wrong : TORT
18. Second of two spouses? : LATTER MATE (from “littermate”)
20. Addams who created “The Addams Family” : CHAS
21. Seoul-based automaker : KIA
22. One of the “She’s Gone” singers : OATES
23. Nest? : HATCHING POST (from “hitching post”)
27. Egg producer : HEN
28. Egg producers : OVARIES
32. Mythological debauchee : SATYR
35. Red-tag event : SALE
37. Repeated lyric in “Java Jive” : A CUP
38. Valuable stuff in a vein : ORE
39. Wing or fang? : BAT PART (from “bit part”)
42. The “E” in B.C.E. : ERA
43. Pearl Mosque home : AGRA
45. Paul Kruger of Krugerrand fame, e.g. : BOER
46. Standard ___ (statistician’s calculation) : ERROR
48. City destroyed by Mount Vesuvius : POMPEII
50. Cross shape : TAU
51. Like a good quilt maker? : PATCH PERFECT (from “pitch perfect”)
57. Book often stored horizontally : ATLAS
60. Tavern favorite : ALE
61. Scratch in a diamond, e.g. : FLAW
62. Happening place … or a hint to 18-, 23-, 39- and 51-Across? : WHERE IT’S AT
65. Skilled : ABLE
66. Certain Iroquoian : ERIE
67. Not glossy : MATTE
68. “___ is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”: Aristotle : LOVE
69. Like some people’s citizenships : DUAL
70. Entrance hall : FOYER
71. Wilson of “Meet the Parents” : OWEN
Down
1. Success story for Cupid : MATCH
2. Island greeting : ALOHA
3. Gemologist’s weight : CARAT
4. Tastelessly artistic : KITSCHY
5. “Home Alone” child star : CULKIN
6. Lightning Bolt? : USAIN
7. Mark down, say, at a store : RETAG
8. Obedience school command : SIT
9. St.-Tropez season : ETE
10. Home to many orangutans : SUMATRA
11. Veterinarian’s subj. : ANAT
12. Diamond in the sky? : KITE
13. The Gabor sisters had many : EXES
19. Monte ___ (one of the Alps) : ROSA
24. ___ Alpert & the Tijuana Brass : HERB
25. Like one of two extremes : POLAR
26. Partner of “done with” : OVER
29. Champagne bucket : ICER
30. Continental currency : EURO
31. Boom or gaff : SPAR
32. “Days,” for one : SOAP
33. Oscar-winning film set in Iran : ARGO
34. President’s four years, e.g. : TERM
35. Follower of Zeno : STOIC
36. Big hairy one : APE
40. Somewhat : A BIT
41. It might be seen out of the corner of one’s eye : TEAR
44. Clothes : APPAREL
47. Mark of “The Kids Are All Right” : RUFFALO
49. Life of ___ : EASE
50. Show instability : TEETER
52. Like some pudding and retreats : HASTY
53. Part of a cafeteria stack : PLATE
54. Pasta shape : ELBOW
55. Give birth, as a whale : CALVE
56. 12-year-old, e.g. : TWEEN
57. Dumbstruck : AWED
58. Via, quickly : THRU
59. “Star Wars” princess : LEIA
63. Global lending org. : IMF
64. Eastern “way” : TAO
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This is one of the most "forced", weakest themes I've seen. I'd prefer a puzzle with NO theme than this.