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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: Gary Cee
THEME: Across in Down … we have some answers today that cross each other in the grid, in the format: “across answer” IN “down answer”
14A. With “in” and 2-Down, with respectful humility : HAT (HAT in HAND)
2D. See 14-Across : HAND19A. With “in” and 12-Down, as a precaution : JUST (JUST in CASE)
12D. See 19-Across : CASE24A. With “in” and 25-Down, blue ribbon earner : BEST (BEST in SHOW)
25D. See 24-Across : SHOW53A. With “in” and 41-Down, heir to the throne : NEXT (NEXT in LINE)
41D. See 53-Across : LINE62A. With “in” and 55-Down, use without proper respect, as a name : TAKE (TAKE in VAIN)
55D. See 62-Across : VAIN68A. With “in” and 60-Down, prepare for an ambush : LIE (LIE in WAIT)
60D. See 68-Across : WAIT
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 09m 14s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
4. Twain adventurer : SAWYER
Tom Sawyer is of course a favorite character created by Mark Twain. He turns up in four of Twain’s books:
– “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
– “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
– “Tom Sawyer Abroad”
– “Tom Sawyer, Detective”
But that’s not all, as he appears in at least three works that Twain left unfinished:
– “Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians” (a sequel to “Huckleberry Finn”)
– “Schoolhouse Hill”
– “Tom Sawyer’s Conspiracy” (a sequel to “Tom Sawyer, Detective”)
16. Biblical progenitor of the Edomites : ESAU
According to the Bible, the Edomites were the descendants of Esau. “Edom” translates from Hebrew as “red”, and was the name given to Esau when he at the “red pottage”.
17. Producer of seven U2 albums : ENO
Brian Eno started out his musical career with Roxy Music. However, Eno’s most oft-played composition (by far!) is Microsoft’s “start-up jingle”, the 6-second sound you hear when the Windows operating system is booting up. Eno might have annoyed the Microsoft folks when he stated on a BBC radio show:
I wrote it on a Mac. I’ve never used a PC in my life; I don’t like them.
Irish singer Bono is a Dubliner, born Paul David Hewson. As a youth, Hewson was given the nickname “Bono Vox” by a friend, a Latin expression meaning “good voice”, and so the singer has been known as Bono since the late seventies. His band’s first name was “Feedback”, later changed to “The Hype”. The band members searched for yet another name and chose U2 from a list of six names suggested by a friend. They picked U2 because it was the name they disliked least …
18. “Messiah” composer : HANDEL
George Frideric Handel was the King of the Oratorio. Handel’s most famous oratorio is “Messiah”, which had its debut performance in Dublin, Ireland back in 1742.
20. Son of Henry Ford : EDSEL
The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel, son of Henry Ford. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonomous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced.
22. Snack with carne asada, maybe : TACO
Carne Asada translates from Spanish as “roasted meat”, and is a roast beef dish.
23. Lode finds : ORES
A lode is metal ore deposit that’s found between two layers of rock or in a fissure.
26. Animal with a prehensile snout : TAPIR
All four species of tapir are endangered. Even though the tapir looks much like a pig, it is more closely related to the horse and the rhinoceros. The tapir’s snout is very flexible and can grab hold of foliage that would otherwise be out of reach.
35. Nashville music mecca, for short : OPRY
“The Grand Ole Opry” started out as a radio show in 1925 originally called the WSM “Barn Dance”. In 1927, the “Barn Dance” radio show was broadcast in a slot after an NBC production called “Musical Appreciation Hour”, a collection of classical works including Grand Opera. In a December show, the host of “Barn Dance” announced, “For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the ‘Grand Ole Opry'”. That name was used for the radio show from then on.
36. Great work : OPUS
The Latin for “work” is “opus”, with the plural being “opera”.
38. Comical Bruce : LENNY
Lenny Bruce was the stage name of comedian Leonard Schneider. Bruce was noted for his edgy style and material on stage, as well as his edgy lifestyle offstage. He was arrested several times and charged with obscenity because of language used in his routines. He was eventually found guilty of one of the charges and sentenced to four months in a workhouse. He was set free on bail while making a much-publicized appeal. Sadly, he died before the appeal process was completed. After his death, the Governor of the New York granted Lenny Bruce a pardon.
39. U.S. broadcaster in 40+ languages : VOA
The US began shortwave propaganda broadcasts in early 1942, just after America entered WWII. The first broadcast to Germany was introduced by the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and opened with the words:
Today, and every day from now on, we will be with you from America to talk about the war. The news may be good or bad for us — We will always tell you the truth.
That first broadcast was called “Stimmen aus Amerika” (“Voices from America”), and gave the fledgling broadcasting operation its name. VOA is still going strong today, and was a station I used to listen to as a teenager back in Ireland in the early seventies …
40. It’s solid blue, in pool : TWO-BALL
The more correct name for the game of pool is pocket billiards. The name “pool” arose after pocket billiards became a common feature in “pool halls”, places where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet on horse races.
42. Emanation from Babel : DIN
We use the word “babel” now to describe a scene of confusion, lifting the term from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel. The Tower was built in the city of Babylon, and the construction was cursed with a confusion of languages due to the varied origins of all the builders.
43. Give moral guidance : EDIFY
“To edify” is to provide instruction in order to improve spiritually, morally or intellectually. The intent is to “build up” someone’s faith or morality, and so “edify” comes from the Latin “aedificare” meaning “to build, construct”. This Latin root also gives us our word “edifice”.
45. South American monkey : TITI
Titis are monkeys found in much of South America that have tails a little bit longer than the length of their heads and bodies.
46. Sonic the Hedgehog’s company : SEGA
Sega is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Tokyo. Sega actually started out 1940 in the US as Standard Games and was located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The owners moved the operation to Tokyo in 1951 and renamed the company to Service Games. The name “Sega” is a combination of the first two letters of the words “Se-rvice” and “Ga-mes”.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a title character in a videogame and the mascot of Sega the game developer. Sonic was set up as a rival to Nintendo’s mascot “Mario”.
47. Meat grade below “choice” : SELECT
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies meat into eight different grades:
– Prime
– Choice
– Select
– Standard
– Commercial
– Utility
– Cutter
– Canner
54. Tel ___ : AVIV
The full name of Israel’s second largest city is Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv translates into “Spring Mound”, a name chosen in 1910.
58. Dogs with dark tongues : CHOWS
The Chow Chow (sometimes just “Chow”) is a breed of dog that originated in China. The Chinese name for the breed is “Songshi Quan”, which translates as “puffy-lion dog”, a rather apt name given its appearance …
66. Lender’s security : LIEN
A lien is the right that one has to retain or secure someone’s property until a debt is paid.
67. N.F.L. team with the mascot Swoop : EAGLES
The Philadelphia Eagles football team adopted “Swoop” as its mascot in 1998, replacing “Blitz”.
71. Yadda yadda yadda : ETC
“The Yada Yada Yada” is actually the name of the 153rd episode of “Seinfeld”. Before “Seinfeld” made “yada yada yada” famous, we were more likely to hear the phrase “yadda yadda”, often used by comedian Lenny Bruce for example.
Down
3. Oklahoma tribesmen : OTOS
The Otoe (also Oto) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestwards ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.
4. Haul (around) : SCHLEP
Our word “schlep” means “to carry, drag”. As one might expect, “schlep” comes from Yiddish, with “shlepen” having the same meaning.
5. Astronomical altar : ARA
The constellation of Ara takes its name from the Latin word for “altar”.
6. Deteriorated : WENT TO POT
The phrase “go to pot”, meaning fall into ruin, has been around since the 1500s when it really meant “go to (the) pot”, to be chopped up and boiled for food.
7. Jedi master : YODA
The Jedi are the “good guys” in the “Star Wars” series of movies. The most famous Jedi knights from the films are Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness, and later Ewan McGregor) and Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Well, they’re my favorites anyway …
11. “Uncle!” : I SURRENDER!
The term “uncle”, meaning “stop, I quit”, is a very North American expression. It has been around since the early 1900s but I couldn’t unearth its etymology.
21. Site that began as AuctionWeb : EBAY
eBay was founded in 1995 as AuctionWeb as part of a computer programmer’s personal website. One of the first items purchased was a broken laser pointer, for $14.83. The buyer collected broken laser pointers …
27. Student grant named for a senator : PELL
Pell Grants are awarded by the federal government to students in financial need so that they can attend college. The grant is named for Senator Claiborne Pell, who sponsored the bill that introduced aid for students.
29. Lyric poem : EPODE
An epode is a lyric poem made up of couplets in which the first line is long, and the second line much shorter. The form was invented by the Greek poet Archilochus, and was most famously used by the Roman poet Horace.
33. English architect Jones : INIGO
Inigo Jones was a British architect, a native of London. The most famous Jones’s design is probably London’s Covent Garden Square.
34. Tenor Ronan ___ : TYNAN
Ronan Tynan is a classical singer from Ireland who is best known as a member of the Irish Tenors. Tynan is also known as participant in the 1984 and 1988 Paralympics as he has had both his legs amputated below the knee.
37. Duke Ellington classic : SATIN DOLL
Duke Ellington was a bandleader and composer believed by many to have elevated jazz to the same level as other respected genres of music. Ellington tended not to use the word “jazz” to describe his compositions, preferring the term “American Music”.
40. Classic model train brand : TYCO
The Tyco brand of toys was founded in 1926 as Mantua Metal Products by John Tyler. The first products made were scale model trains using die-cast metal. The company introduced the Tyco brand in the fifties, with “Tyco” standing for “Tyler Company”.
46. Jedi foes : SITH
The Sith are characters in the “Star Wars” universe who use the “dark side” of “the Force”, and as such are the antithesis of the Jedi Knights. The last made of the six “Star Wars” movies is called “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”.
48. Deep-sixes : TOSSES
To deep-six something is to toss it, possibly overboard, or to completely destroy it. The derivation of this slang term is from “six feet deep”, not the length of a fathom but rather the traditional depth of a grave.
50. What a gourmand eats to : EXCESS
A gourmand is someone who takes great pleasure in consuming food and drink, often eating and drinking to excess. The related term “gourmet” refers to someone who has a refined palate.
52. Robert who played Mr. Chips : DONAT
Robert Donat was a marvelous actor who starred in two of my favorite films: “The 39 Steps” from 1935 and “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” from 1939.
The fabulous 1939 movie “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by James Hilton. Heading the cast are British actors Robert Donat and Greer Garson. “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” was remade as musical in 1969 starring Peter O’Toole and Petula Clark. I haven’t seen the remake, and frankly am a little scared to do so …
54. Literary Hun king : ATLI
Atli is a character in the Volsunga Saga of 13th century Icelandic lore. It is believed that the Atli character is loosely based on Attila the Hun.
57. Feeling sluggish : LOGY
Something that is “logy” is dull and heavy. “Logy” might come from the Dutch word “log” that means “heavy, dull”.
64. Series ender : ZEE
The letter named “zed” has been around since about 1400, and derives from the Greek letter zeta. The spelling and pronunciation of “zee” used in America today first popped up in the 1670s.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. “___ dat?” : WHO
4. Twain adventurer : SAWYER
10. Calorific : RICH
14. With “in” and 2-Down, with respectful humility : HAT (HAT in HAND)
15. Spicy cuisine : CREOLE
16. Biblical progenitor of the Edomites : ESAU
17. Producer of seven U2 albums : ENO
18. “Messiah” composer : HANDEL
19. With “in” and 12-Down, as a precaution : JUST (JUST in CASE)
20. Son of Henry Ford : EDSEL
22. Snack with carne asada, maybe : TACO
23. Lode finds : ORES
24. With “in” and 25-Down, blue ribbon earner : BEST (BEST in SHOW)
26. Animal with a prehensile snout : TAPIR
28. Sand in an hourglass, for time : METAPHOR
32. Smoke and mirrors, say : DECEIT
35. Nashville music mecca, for short : OPRY
36. Great work : OPUS
38. Comical Bruce : LENNY
39. U.S. broadcaster in 40+ languages : VOA
40. It’s solid blue, in pool : TWO-BALL
42. Emanation from Babel : DIN
43. Give moral guidance : EDIFY
45. South American monkey : TITI
46. Sonic the Hedgehog’s company : SEGA
47. Meat grade below “choice” : SELECT
49. Club providing lots of loft : NINE IRON
51. Coop offspring : BROOD
53. With “in” and 41-Down, heir to the throne : NEXT (NEXT in LINE)
54. Tel ___ : AVIV
56. Gavel wielder’s word : SOLD
58. Dogs with dark tongues : CHOWS
62. With “in” and 55-Down, use without proper respect, as a name : TAKE (TAKE in VAIN)
63. Button on an alarm clock : SNOOZE
65. Generation ___ : GAP
66. Lender’s security : LIEN
67. N.F.L. team with the mascot Swoop : EAGLES
68. With “in” and 60-Down, prepare for an ambush : LIE (LIE in WAIT)
69. Center of learning: Abbr. : INST
70. Doesn’t merely cut : STYLES
71. Yadda yadda yadda : ETC
Down
1. Cry from a thrill ride : WHEE
2. See 14-Across : HAND
3. Oklahoma tribesmen : OTOS
4. Haul (around) : SCHLEP
5. Astronomical altar : ARA
6. Deteriorated : WENT TO POT
7. Jedi master : YODA
8. Not yet inaugurated : ELECT
9. What one might do after a firing : RELOAD
10. Celebrate : REJOICE
11. “Uncle!” : I SURRENDER!
12. See 19-Across : CASE
13. Makeshift housing : HUTS
21. Site that began as AuctionWeb : EBAY
25. See 24-Across : SHOW
27. Student grant named for a senator : PELL
28. Pulls up stakes : MOVES
29. Lyric poem : EPODE
30. Off-road rides : TRAIL BIKES
31. Apply, as lotion : RUB IN
33. English architect Jones : INIGO
34. Tenor Ronan ___ : TYNAN
37. Duke Ellington classic : SATIN DOLL
40. Classic model train brand : TYCO
41. See 53-Across : LINE
44. Impassioned : FERVENT
46. Jedi foes : SITH
48. Deep-sixes : TOSSES
50. What a gourmand eats to : EXCESS
52. Robert who played Mr. Chips : DONAT
54. Literary Hun king : ATLI
55. See 62-Across : VAIN
57. Feeling sluggish : LOGY
59. Get an eyeful : OGLE
60. See 68-Across : WAIT
61. Architect’s detail, for short : SPEC
64. Series ender : ZEE
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