0424-13 New York Times Crossword Answers 24 Apr 13, Wednesday

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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Clive Probert
THEME: Anyone for Tennis? … today’s themed answers start with the scores as a game of tennis progresses:

18A. Some cruise ships, informally : LOVE BOATS
23A. Start of a song with the cry “Yo-ho-ho” : FIFTEEN MEN
34A. Ken Olin series about baby boomers : THIRTYSOMETHING
50A. One who hoped things would pan out? : FORTY-NINER
57A. “You lose!” : GAME’S OVER

COMPLETION TIME: 10m 41s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … SOCHI (Sonhi), C-STAR (N-star)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

9. Asian nation suffix : -STAN
The suffix “-stan” that is seen in several countries in Asia is of Persian for “place of” or “country”.

15. Bow-toting deity : AMOR
Cupid, the Greek god of desire, was also known as Amor. “Cupido” is Latin for “desire” and “amor” is Latin for “love”.

16. Jared of “Mr. Nobody” : LETO
Jared Leto is an actor and musician. In the world of music, Leto is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. In the film world his most critically acclaimed role was that of a heroin addict in “Requiem for a Dream”. He also appeared in “American Psycho”, “Panic Room” and “Lord of War”.

“Mr. Nobody” is a sci-fi movie released in 2009 that has an intriguing storyline. It’s about Nemo Nobody, who at 118 years old is the last man in the world to experience mortality. The rest of humanity is able to transition to immortality by using endless cell regenerations. Jared Leto plays the title role, portraying Nemo at 34 years and 118 years of age.

17. ___ diem : CARPE
“Carpe diem” is a quotation from Horace, one of Ancient Rome’s leading lyric poets. “Carpe diem” translates from Latin as “seize the day” or “enjoy the day”.

20. Repetitive French greeting : ALLO ALLO!
The French use “Allo!” as a greeting when answering the phone. I used to watch a very entertaining British sitcom as a young man called “‘Allo ‘Allo!” that was about the resistance movement in WWII France.

22. Put aside for later : TABLE
These “tabling” and “shelving” idioms drive me crazy, because they are always misused. If a topic is shelved, it is set aside. If a topic is tabled, it is brought “off the shelf” and put “on the table” for discussion. But, maybe it’s just me …

23. Start of a song with the cry “Yo-ho-ho” : FIFTEEN MEN
The fictional sea shanty called “Dead Man’s Chest” was introduced in Robert Louis Stevenson’s great novel, “Treasure Island”. In the book, Stevenson only describes the chorus, which goes:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest–
…Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

25. Möbius strip’s lack : END
A Möbius strip is a surface that has only one side. One is easily made by taking a strip of paper and joining the ends together, but with a twist so that it isn’t a regular “band”.

28. Dessert menu phrase : A LA MODE
In French, “à la mode” simply means “fashionable”. In America, the term has come to describe a way of serving pie, usually with ice cream, or as I recall from when I lived in Upstate New York, with cheese.

30. Russian city, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics : SOCHI
Sochi is a city in the west of Russian on the Black Sea coast. It is the largest resort city in the whole country. Sochi is going to be pretty busy in the next few years. It will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2014 as well as the 2018 World Cup in soccer.

34. Ken Olin series about baby boomers : THIRTYSOMETHING
Ken Olin was one of the stars on the hit television series “Thirtysomething”, playing Michael Steadman. After “Thirtysomething”, Olin moved behind the camera and is now a producer and director.

40. Activision’s Guitar ___ : HERO
Guitar Hero is an amazingly successful series of video games, first published in 2005. It is the third best selling franchise of video games, after Mario and Madden NFL. Sales have dropped in recent years though, and there are no plans for further releases.

41. ___ Motors (electric car company) : TESLA
Tesla Motors is a manufacturer of electric vehicles based in Palo Alto, California. Tesla is noted for producing the first electric sports car, called the Tesla Roadster. The current base price of a roadster is about $100,000, should you be interested …

42. State where bolo ties are common : ARIZONA
I’ve never worn a bolo tie, and was surprised to discover that it is a relatively recent invention. The first bolo tie was apparently produced in Wickenburg, Arizona in the late 1940s by a silversmith. The bolo takes its name from the boleadora, an Argentine lariat.

49. Lake Michigan borderer: Abbr. : WIS
Wisconsin is named for the Wisconsin River, the longest river in the state. The famous missionary Father Jacques Marquette recorded the Algonquian name for the river as “Meskousing”. This was modified by French explorers to “Ouisconsin”, with the first syllable pronounced just like the French word for “yes” … “oui’. In the early 1800s this was anglicized to “Wisconsin”.

50. One who hoped things would pan out? : FORTY-NINER
The California gold rush actually started in 1848, and not 1849. The first to exploit the find were those people already in California. By 1849 the word had spread and gold-seekers started to arrive from all over the world. The “out-of-towners” who arrived in 1849 became known as forty-niners.

55. Food critics, often : EPICURES
The Greek philosopher Epicurus espoused the view that one should try to live a life surrounded by friends that is self-sufficient, free from fear and without pain. It is the name of Epicurus that is the root of our word “epicure”, which we use to mean one who appreciates fine food and drink in particular.

61. Painter Magritte : RENE
Belgian artist René Magritte was a surrealist. His most recognized work maybe is “The Son of Man”, a painting he created as a self-portrait. It is the work that shows a man in a bowler hat with his face covered by an apple. The image features prominently in the great movie, the 1999 remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”.

64. LAX postings : ETAS
Los Angeles International Airport is the sixth busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and the busiest here on the West Coast of the US. The airport was opened in 1930 as Mines Field and was renamed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941. On the airport property is the iconic white structure that resembles a flying saucer. This is called the Theme Building and I believe it is mainly used as a restaurant and observation deck for the public. The airport used to be identified by the letters “LA”, but when the aviation industry went to a three-letter standard for airport identification, this was changed to “LAX”. Apparently the “X” has no significant meaning.

65. Willy Wonka’s creator : DAHL
Roald Dahl’s name is Norwegian. Dahl’s parents were from Norway, although Dahl himself was Welsh. Dahl became one of the most successful authors of the twentieth century. Two of his most famous titles are “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

Willy Wonka is the lead character in the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl called “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory”. Willy Wonka has been portrayed on the big screen twice. Gene Wilder was a fabulous Wonka in the 1971 version titled “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”, and Johnny Depp played him in the Tim Burton movie from 2005 called “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. I’m not too fond of Tim Burton movies, so I haven’t seen that one …

Down
1. Spotted rodent : PACA
There are two species of pacas, and both are found in Central and South America. In some parts, paca is considered a gourmet dish.

2. Tourist town of Salerno : AMALFI
Amalfi is a coastal town on the Gulf of Salerno located about 30 miles southeast of Naples.

3. Comedian with the 1972 album “Class Clown” : CARLIN
George Carlin was a groundbreaking, stand-up comic from Manhattan, New York. Carlin’s best-known routine was his “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” that featured a list of words that would be considered offensive in some circles. Carlin was arrested and charged with obscenity after performing the routine in 1972 in Milwaukee. The judge hearing the case upheld Carlin’s right to perform the routine, but the controversy didn’t stop there. Someone complained about hearing the routine in a radio broadcast, which led to the US Supreme Court upholding the right of the FCC to prohibit broadcasts that might be deemed obscene when children were likely to be in the audience.

5. Berry of “Die Another Day” : HALLE
The beautiful and talented actress Halle Berry is the only African American woman to win a best Actress Oscar, which she received for her performance in the 2001 movie “Monster’s Ball”. She also won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress in 2005 for playing the title role in “Catwoman”, and she very graciously accepted the award in person. Good for her!

“Die Another Day” is a 2002 James Bond movie with Pierce Brosnan starring and Halle Berry as the “Bond Girl”.

6. “___ for the Misbegotten” : A MOON
“A Moon for the Misbegotten” is a play by Eugene O’Neill. It is a sequel to his more famous play “Long Day’s Journey into Night”.

7. Election mo. : NOV
Election Day was chosen by Congress back in 1845. The month of November was selected as it suited an agricultural society, following the fall harvest and yet not too far into winter, which could make travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen so that people had time to travel to polling stations. Monday elections might have meant that some would have to start out on Sunday, and that could interfere with Christian services.

8. Fairy-tale escapee from a witch : GRETEL
“Hansel and Gretel” is a Germanic fairy tale found in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It tells of two siblings, Hansel and Gretel, the children of a woodcutter. The youngsters are abandoned in a forest at the behest of an evil stepmother. Clever Hansel hears of the plan and leaves a trail of pebbles so that he and his sister can find their way home, which they do. But the children are abandoned again and this time leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, the crumbs are eaten by birds and so the children do indeed become lost. But eventually they do all live happily ever after …

10. “Spanglish” actress : TEA LEONI
Téa Leoni is an American actress. One of her early parts was in the great film “A League of Their Own” (a minor role, Racine at first base). She also played Sam Malone’s fiancée on “Cheers” and opposite Adam Sandler in “Spanglish”. My favorite of her more prominent roles was as Jane, in “Fun with Dick and Jane”.

12. KenKen entries: Abbr. : NOS
KenKen is an arithmetic and logic puzzle invented quite recently, in 2004 by a Japanese math teacher named Tetsuya Miyamoto. “Ken” is the Japanese word for “cleverness”.

19. Eric of “Troy” : BANA
Eric Bana is an Australian actor who enjoyed a successful career in his home country before breaking into Hollywood playing an American Delta Force sergeant in “Black Hawk Down”. A couple of years later he played the lead in Ang Lee’s 2003 movie “The Hulk”, the role of Dr Bruce Banner. More recently he played the Romulan villain Nero, in the 2009 “Star Trek” movie.

21. Sports artist Neiman : LEROY
LeRoy Neiman is an artist from Braham, Minnesota who is known for his vibrant paintings of athletes and sporting events. Niemen lives in a home in New York City overlooking Central Park that has a great pedigree in terms of residents. Former occupants include artist Norman Rockwell as well as entertainers Rudolph Valentino and Noël Coward.

26. China’s ___ Xiaoping : DENG
Deng Xiaoping was the Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China from 1978 to 1992. It was Deng Xiaoping who is given the credit for setting policies that led to China’s current economic boom. He moved the country towards a market economy and opened the borders to allow foreign investment.

29. ___-jongg : MAH
“Mahjong” (also mahjongg and mah-jongg) is the Chinese word for “sparrow”. Mahjong is a game that originated in China, and is usually played by four players. There is a myth that the game was developed by the Chinese philosopher, Confucius. The myth also suggests that Confucius was fond of birds, and hence chose the name “sparrow”.

31. Astronomical red giant : C STAR
A carbon star (“C” star) is a star with an atmosphere rich in carbon, more carbon than oxygen. Such an atmosphere is very “sooty” and as such might appear very red in color when viewed through a telescope.

Red giants are very large stars with a relatively low mass. The atmosphere of a red giant is also very inflated and extends a long way into space so the surface of that atmosphere that we see is relatively cool, which gives it a red color.

36. Partiers at a hooley : IRISHMEN
A “hooley” is a lively party, especially one in Ireland or New Zealand. The origin of the term is unclear. I have a attended one or two (!) in my time, and indeed will be on a plane next month to attend a surprise one for my brother in Ireland, but don’t tell him …

37. “Frasier” role : ROZ
Roz Doyle is a character in the wonderful sitcom “Frasier”. Roz is played, very ably, by the actress Peri Gilpin.

38. Nicholas Gage memoir : ELENI
Nicholas Gage is a Greek-American author and investigative journalist. Gage wrote two memoirs, “Eleni” and “A Place for Us”. “Eleni” tells of his life in Greece during WWII and the Greek Civil War. The title is a tribute to his mother Eleni who was executed by Communists who occupied her village, simply because she helped her children escape from the ravages of a war of occupation. “Eleni” was adapted into a movie in 1985, with John Malkovich playing Gage.

43. “Just the Two ___” : OF US
“Just the Two of Us” is best-known as a song recorded in 1981 by Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers.

47. Sister (and occasional rival) of Venus : SERENA
Serena Williams is the younger of the two Williams sisters playing professional tennis. Serena has won more prize money in her career than any other female athlete.

48. Mariana ___ (world’s deepest ocean point) : TRENCH
The Mariana Trench is the lowest elevation on the surface of the Earth’s crust. The Mariana Trench takes its name from the nearby Mariana Islands in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

51. “Lovergirl” singer ___ Marie : TEENA
Teena Marie is a very successful R&B singer, born Mary Christine Brockert.

52. Belgian city sometimes mispronounced as “wipers” : YPRES
Ypres is a Belgian city located close to the French border. In WWI, Ypres was the scene of three devastating battles that resulted in almost a million casualties, including many who suffered in gas attacks.

54. Sommeliers’ suggestions : REDS
“Sommelier” is the French word for a wine steward.

56. Witty Mort : SAHL
Mort Sahl is a Canadian-born actor and comedian who moved to the US with his family when he was a child. Sahl became friends with John F. Kennedy. When Kennedy became president, Sahl wrote a lot of jokes for the President’s speeches, although he also told a lot of Kennedy jokes in his acts. After the President was assassinated in 1963, Sahl was intensely interested in finding out who was behind the crime and even got himself deputized as a member of one of the investigating teams. He was very outspoken against the results of the Warren Commission report on the assassination, and soon found himself out of favor with the public. It took a few years for him to make his comeback, but come back he did.

58. Rookie’s mentor, maybe : VET
The term “rookie”, used for a raw recruit, first appeared in Rudyard Kipling’s collection of songs and poems called the “Barrack-Room Ballads” originally published in 1892.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Summit conference goal : PACT
5. Word before tight or loose : HANG
9. Asian nation suffix : -STAN
13. At full speed : AMAIN
15. Bow-toting deity : AMOR
16. Jared of “Mr. Nobody” : LETO
17. ___ diem : CARPE
18. Some cruise ships, informally : LOVE BOATS
20. Repetitive French greeting : ALLO! ALLO!
22. Put aside for later : TABLE
23. Start of a song with the cry “Yo-ho-ho” : FIFTEEN MEN
25. Möbius strip’s lack : END
27. Gather, logically : INFER
28. Dessert menu phrase : A LA MODE
30. Russian city, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics : SOCHI
33. Nameless, briefly : ANON
34. Ken Olin series about baby boomers : THIRTYSOMETHING
40. Activision’s Guitar ___ : HERO
41. ___ Motors (electric car company) : TESLA
42. State where bolo ties are common : ARIZONA
45. Live : EXIST
49. Lake Michigan borderer: Abbr. : WIS
50. One who hoped things would pan out? : FORTY-NINER
53. Dull tapping sound : THRUM
55. Food critics, often : EPICURES
57. “You lose!” : GAME’S OVER
59. Place to play or fight : ARENA
60. Like fine whiskeys : AGED
61. Painter Magritte : RENE
62. Second-stringers : BENCH
63. Monocle part : LENS
64. LAX postings : ETAS
65. Willy Wonka’s creator : DAHL

Down
1. Spotted rodent : PACA
2. Tourist town of Salerno : AMALFI
3. Comedian with the 1972 album “Class Clown” : CARLIN
4. Beginning in basketball : TIP OFF
5. Berry of “Die Another Day” : HALLE
6. “___ for the Misbegotten” : A MOON
7. Election mo. : NOV
8. Fairy-tale escapee from a witch : GRETEL
9. One whose work is not picking up? : SLOB
10. “Spanglish” actress : TEA LEONI
11. Serve, as a maid would a lady : ATTEND ON
12. KenKen entries: Abbr. : NOS
14. Least like a 9-Down : NEATEST
19. Eric of “Troy” : BANA
21. Sports artist Neiman : LEROY
24. Injures severely : MAIMS
26. China’s ___ Xiaoping : DENG
29. ___-jongg : MAH
31. Astronomical red giant : C STAR
32. Weed whacker : HOE
34. Midwinter event, often : THAW
35. Ethnic background : HERITAGE
36. Partiers at a hooley : IRISHMEN
37. “Frasier” role : ROZ
38. Nicholas Gage memoir : ELENI
39. Airport queue unit : TAXICAB
43. “Just the Two ___” : OF US
44. “Enough already!” : NO MORE!
46. Hardened (to) : INURED
47. Sister (and occasional rival) of Venus : SERENA
48. Mariana ___ (world’s deepest ocean point) : TRENCH
51. “Lovergirl” singer ___ Marie : TEENA
52. Belgian city sometimes mispronounced as “wipers” : YPRES
54. Sommeliers’ suggestions : REDS
56. Witty Mort : SAHL
57. Guy’s partner : GAL
58. Rookie’s mentor, maybe : VET


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