0508-13 New York Times Crossword Answers 8 May 13, Wednesday

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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Bruce Venzke
THEME: Happy Mother’s Day … today’s themed answers are a checklist of things to do for Mother’s Day, and the diagonal of the grid, from top-left to bottom-right, spells out HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY:

18A. Remembered Mom, in a way SHIPPED GIFT
31A. Remembered Mom, in a way MAILED CARD
48A. Remembered Mom, in a way CALLED HOME
63A. Remembered Mom, in a way SENT FLOWERS

1Diag. Annual message HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 12m 50s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Not square HEP
The slang term “hep” meaning “cool” has the same meaning as the later derivative term “hip”. The origins of “hep” seem unclear, but it was adopted by jazz musicians of the early 1900s.

9. “A Passage to India” woman ADELA
“A Passage to India” is a wonderful novel by E. M. Forster set in the days of the British Raj. There are two excellent adaptations for the screen that I would recommend. There’s a BBC television version from 1965 starring a wonderful cast including Virginia McKenna and Cyril Cusack. There is also an Oscar-winning movie version from 1984 with Alec Guinness and Peggy Ashcroft. Forster had first-hand knowledge of life during the Raj, having worked in India during the twenties.

17. N.B.A. or N.F.L. honor MVP
Most Valuable Player (MVP)

22. Auto financing letters APR
Annual percentage rate (APR)

23. Greek salad staple FETA
Feta is a Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk, or a mixture of sheep’s and goat’s milk. The cheese is salted and cured in a brine solution for several months before it is eaten.

27. Noted literary pseudonym ELIA
Charles Lamb published a famous collection of essays simply entitled “Essays of Elia”. Elia was actually a clerk and co-worker of Charles Lamb, whereas Lamb was the author.

29. Mr. ___ (Peter Lorre film sleuth) MOTO
The mysterious Mr. Moto is a Japanese secret agent who appears in six novels by American author, John P. Marquand. Mr. Moto was famously played by Peter Lorre in a series of eight films released in the 1930s.

36. Zodiac symbol SCORPION
Scorpio is a the eighth astrological sign of the Zodiac. In days of old, the planetary ruler of Scorpio was Mars, but since 1930 and the discovery of a new planet, Pluto has been the ruler. I wonder if the “demotion” of Pluto to a dwarf planet has made a difference?

38. Lamprey hunter EELER
Lampreys look like a cross between a fish and an eel.

43. Hawaii’s Mauna ___ LOA
Mauna Loa on the “big island” of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.

51. City SE of Honolulu HILO
Hilo is the largest settlement on the big island of Hawai’i, with a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). I love the Big Island …

52. Princess who was captured by Jabba the Hutt LEIA
Jabba the Hutt is the big blob of an alien that appears in the “Star Wars” movie “The Return of the Jedi”. Jabba’s claim to fame is that he enslaved Princess Leia and kitted her out in that celebrated metal bikini.

53. Dashing Flynn ERROL
Errol Flynn was born 1909 in Tasmania, Australia where he was raised. In his twenties, Flynn lived in the UK where he pursued his acting career. Around the same time he starred in an Australian film “In the Wake of the Bounty” and then appeared in a British film “Murder at Monte Carlo”. It was in the latter film that he was noticed by Warner Brothers who brought him to America. Flynn’s non-American heritage shone through even while he was living the American dream in California. He regularly played cricket, along with his friend David Niven, in the Hollywood Cricket Club.

55. Pieces in a Mideast armory UZIS
The first Uzi submachine gun was designed in the late 1940s by Major Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces who gave his name to the gun.

68. Chocolate base CACAO
Chocolate is made from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds are very bitter and the traditional drink made with the seed was called “xocolatl” by the Aztecs, meaning “bitter water”. That’s how our “chocolate” got its name.

70. Old Mideast alliance, for short UAR
The UAR, United Arab Republic, was a union between Egypt and Syria made in 1958 and dissolved in 1961 when Syria pulled out of the arrangement.

72. “Cheers” role DIANE
Diane Chambers was one of the original lead characters in the sitcom “Cheers”. Diane was played by actress Shelley Long.

The wonderful sitcom “Cheers” ran for eleven seasons on NBC, from 1982 to 1993. “Cheers” spawned an equally successful spin-off show called “Frasier”, which also ran for eleven seasons and often featured guest appearances of characters from the original “Cheers”. The Cheers bar was styled on the Bull & Finch Pub in Boston (in which I’ve had a pint of Guinness two!). The owner of the Bill & Finch cleverly agreed to the initial interior and exterior shots, charging only one dollar. Since then he has made millions from selling “Cheers” memorabilia, and also from increased trade.

Down
1. Certain radio enthusiasts HAMS
Amateur radio enthusiasts were originally called ham operators by professional telegraph operators, and the term was intended to be insulting. It came from the similar term “ham actor”, describing a person who is less than effective on the stage. But amateur operators eventually embraced the moniker and so it stuck.

6. With 25-Down, 1979 exile IDI
(25. See 6-Down AMIN)
Idi Amin received most of his military training in the British armed forces, eventually achieving the highest rank possible for a Black African in the British Colonial Army in 1959, that of Warrant Officer. On his return to Uganda Amin joined his country’s military and quickly rose to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Army. During that time he was quite the athlete. He was a noted rugby player and swimmer, and for nine years held the Ugandan national light-heavyweight boxing title. By the early seventies, Amin was commander of all the armed forces of Uganda and in 1971 seized power in a military coup, displacing the country’s president Milton Obote. There followed seven years of brutal rule by Amin during which it is estimated that between 100,000 and 500,000 people were murdered. Amin was ousted from power in 1979 after a war with Tanzania, and fled to Libya where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was financially supported by the Saudi Royal Family for the remainder of his life. Amin died in 2003.

7. “Hope & Faith” actress Kelly RIPA
When Kelly Ripa secured the co-host spot on morning television with Regis Philbin, she was still acting in “All My Children” in a role she had been playing for over ten years. After a year of holding down two jobs, she eventually gave up the acting job.

“Hope & Faith” is a sitcom that ran from 2003 to 2006, starring Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa as two sisters, one of whom was a soap opera star whose character had been killed off. One the show, Faith played Hope and Kelly played Faith. Very confusing …

8. Ted once of ABC news KOPPEL
The broadcast journalist Ted Koppel is most associated with his long run as anchor for the “Nightline” program on ABC. Koppel was actually born in England, to a Jewish family that had fled from Germany. He emigrated with his family to the US when he was 13 years old. Koppel is great friends with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who was a frequent guest on his television show.

9. Focusing problem, for short ADD
The “official” name for the condition we sometimes still refer to as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) is “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

10. G.I., in old slang DOGFACE
“Dogface” is a slang term used for a GI, common back in WWII.

The initials “G.I.” stand for “Government Issue” and not “General Infantry” as is often believed. GI was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

11. Falco of “Nurse Jackie” EDIE
Edie Falco won her three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco is also noted for playing the title role in Showtime’s comedy-drama “Nurse Jackie”.

13. Terrier in whodunits ASTA
Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb movie “The Thin Man” starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

19. ___ Stanley Gardner ERLE
I must have read all of the Perry Mason books when I was in college. I think they kept me sane when I was facing the pressure of exams. Author Erle Stanley Gardner was himself a lawyer, although he didn’t get into the profession the easy way. Gardner went to law school, but got himself suspended after a month. So, he became a self-taught attorney and opened his own law office in Merced, California. Understandably, he gave up the law once his novels became successful.

26. Ho Chi Minh Trail locale LAOS
The Vietnam War’s Ho Chi Minh Trail wasn’t just one trail, but rather a whole maze of routes that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam and through the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. Practically the entire trail was hidden from the air using natural and man-made camouflage that was constantly maintained.

28. Words before a clarification ID EST
i.e. = id est = that is …

29. “The Rachel Maddow Show” carrier MSNBC
We used to be able to listen to “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Air America Radio before the radio station went bust. Now we can see Maddow on a TV show with the same name, every night on MSNBC. She is the first openly gay anchor to host a primetime news program in the US.

30. Florida’s ___ National Forest OCALA
The Ocala National Forest covers 607 square miles of the central Florida. It is the southernmost national forest in the country, and having been established in 1908, it is the oldest national forest east of the Mississippi.

32. Emcee’s delivery INTRO
“Emcee” come from “MC”, an abbreviation for the Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

35. Harry Potter villain Malfoy DRACO
Draco Malfoy is one of the regular “bad guys” in the Harry Potter series. Malfoy is one of Potter’s fellow students, the one who sneers a lot.

42. ___ of the realm PEER
A Peer of the Realm is a member of the peerage in a kingdom. A member of the peerage is someone with a title, a member of the aristocracy. However, the ruling family is not included in the list of peers.

49. Lifebuoy competitor DIAL
Dial was the first antibacterial soap introduced in the US. It was given the name “Dial” as it was touted as offering “round-the-clock” protection against any odors caused by perspiration.

The Lifebuoy brand of soap was first produced in England in 1895. Famously in the 1920s, Lifebuoy had a campaign using the Philadelphia Phillies name. One of the advertisements on a wall at the Baker Bowl (former home to the Phillies) proclaimed “The Phillies use Lifebuoy”. Someone defaced the advertisement by adding the words “… and they still stink!” Witty!

50. Lloyd of the silents HAROLD
Harold Lloyd was a comic actor in the Silent Era whose name is often listed with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Lloyd used to so his own stunts, a practice that caused him to lose the thumb and index finger of his right hand in one accident. Lloyd used a special glove in subsequent movies to hide the injury.

54. Charlotte ___ (cream-filled dessert) RUSSE
Charlotte Russe is a cold dessert consisting of Bavarian cream set in a mold layered with ladyfingers. The dessert was named by its creator in honor of Princess Charlotte, daughter of British King George IV, and in honor of Czar Alexander I of Russia (“russe” is French for “Russian”).

55. Law enforcers at sea: Abbr. USCG
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has the distinction of being the country’s oldest continuous seagoing service. The USCG was founded as the Revenue Cutter Service by Alexander Hamilton in 1790.

57. ___ Empire (bygone domain) INCA
The Inca Empire was known as the Tawantinsuyu, which translates as “land of the four quarters”. The Inca Empire was a federal organization having a central government that sat above four “suyu” or “quarters”, four administrative regions.

59. Title river in 1957’s Best Picture KWAI
The river referred to in the movie (and novel) “The Bridge on the River Kwai” is actually called the Khwae Yai River, and is in western Thailand. The original novel by Pierre Boulle was published in French in 1952, and the wonderful movie released in 1957. Both tell the story of construction of part of the Burma Railway and a bridge over the river, using prisoners of war as laborers. The film stars William Holden, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins.

65. “Die Meistersinger” soprano EVA
Eva is the heroine in Richard Wagner’s (long!) opera titled “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg).

66. Cartoon Chihuahua REN
“The Ren and Stimpy Show” is an animated television show that ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. The title characters are Marland “Ren” Höek, a scrawny Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a rotund Manx cat. Not my cup of tea …

Diagonal
1 Annual message HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
Note the official punctuation in “Mother’s Day”, even though one might think it should be “Mothers’ Day”. President Wilson, and Anna Jarvis who created the tradition, specifically wanted Mother’s Day to honor the mothers within each family and not just “mothers” in general, so they went with the “Mother’s Day” punctuation.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Not square HEP
4. Avoid responsibilities SHIRK
9. “A Passage to India” woman ADELA
14. Wall St. rating AAA
15. TV signal part AUDIO
16. Boneheads DODOS
17. N.B.A. or N.F.L. honor MVP
18. Remembered Mom, in a way SHIPPED GIFT
20. Filters slowly SEEPS
22. Auto financing letters APR
23. Greek salad staple FETA
24. Princess, e.g. ROYAL
27. Noted literary pseudonym ELIA
29. Mr. ___ (Peter Lorre film sleuth) MOTO
31. Remembered Mom, in a way MAILED CARD
36. Zodiac symbol SCORPION
38. Lamprey hunter EELER
39. Hillbilly negative NAW
40. Clears, as a drain UNSTOPS
43. Hawaii’s Mauna ___ LOA
44. Dim with tears BLEAR
46. Typical political talk RHETORIC
48. Remembered Mom, in a way CALLED HOME
51. City SE of Honolulu HILO
52. Princess who was captured by Jabba the Hutt LEIA
53. Dashing Flynn ERROL
55. Pieces in a Mideast armory UZIS
58. Famous rescue vessel ARK
60. ___ manual USER’S
63. Remembered Mom, in a way SENT FLOWERS
67. Bankbook abbr. DEP
68. Chocolate base CACAO
69. Employs soap and water LAVES
70. Old Mideast alliance, for short UAR
71. Motorist’s problem GLARE
72. “Cheers” role DIANE
73. Meddle PRY

Down
1. Certain radio enthusiasts HAMS
2. Roof part EAVE
3. It may be on a roll PAPER TOWEL
4. Having an attitude SASSY
5. “Say that again?” HUH?
6. With 25-Down, 1979 exile IDI
7. “Hope & Faith” actress Kelly RIPA
8. Ted once of ABC news KOPPEL
9. Focusing problem, for short ADD
10. G.I., in old slang DOGFACE
11. Falco of “Nurse Jackie” EDIE
12. Sleeping site, maybe LOFT
13. Terrier in whodunits ASTA
19. ___ Stanley Gardner ERLE
21. What “D” means POOR
25. See 6-Down AMIN
26. Ho Chi Minh Trail locale LAOS
28. Words before a clarification ID EST
29. “The Rachel Maddow Show” carrier MSNBC
30. Florida’s ___ National Forest OCALA
32. Emcee’s delivery INTRO
33. Extremely agitated ALL RILED UP
34. Lubricate again RE-OIL
35. Harry Potter villain Malfoy DRACO
37. Make a mush of PUREE
41. Words of woe OH ME!
42. ___ of the realm PEER
45. Like a blockbuster’s cast, often ALL-STAR
47. Cries of discovery OHOS
49. Lifebuoy competitor DIAL
50. Lloyd of the silents HAROLD
54. Charlotte ___ (cream-filled dessert) RUSSE
55. Law enforcers at sea: Abbr. USCG
56. Enthusiasm ZEAL
57. ___ Empire (bygone domain) INCA
59. Title river in 1957’s Best Picture KWAI
61. Sit on it REAR
62. Not even close to creaky SPRY
64. Opposition FOE
65. “Die Meistersinger” soprano EVA
66. Cartoon Chihuahua REN

Diagonal
1 Annual message HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY


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Posted by Bill Butler
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4 thoughts on “0508-13 New York Times Crossword Answers 8 May 13, Wednesday”

  1. My apologies. I should have explained this answer/clue in the post above.

    A teacher assessing a pupil's essay, say, might give it a grade of "D" meaning that it was a "poor" attempt.

    Hope that helps!

  2. There's a slang phrase on the Internet lately, "She wants the 'D'", where 'D' is a reference to male anatomy. I was tempted to fill that in, but quickly got the 'P' and figured out the rest. 🙂

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