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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Byron Walden
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 45m 06s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 4 … LIMO RIDE (limosine!!!), BORE (joke!), DER BINGLE (DES JINGLE!), NO DRAMA (non-kama!)
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Back order? : REMAND
“To remand” is to send back. In the law, the term can mean to send back into custody, or to send back a case to a lower court.
7. Main means of defense? : SQUID INK
Octopuses and squid have the ability to release a dark pigment into the water as a means of escape. The dark pigment is called cephalopod ink (the squid and octopus belong to the class cephalopod). The dark color is created by melanin, the same substance that acts as a pigment in human skin.
When one thinks of the word “main” in the context of the sea, the Spanish Main usually comes to mind. Indeed, the use of the more general term “main”, meaning the sea, originates from the more specific “Spanish Main”. “Spanish Main” originally referred to land and not water, as it was the name given to the mainland coast around the Caribbean Sea in the days of Spanish domination of the region.
15. First city bombed in W.W. II’s Baedeker Blitz : EXETER
Exeter is a historic city in the county of Devon in the southwest of England. The city takes its name from the river on which it lies, the River Exe.
Baedeker travel guides have been around since 1827. Baedeker guides were so popular in the early 20th century that “baedekering” came to mean travelling a country with the intent of writing a travel guide. During WWII the British used the term “Baedeker Blitz” for a series of air attacks on English towns that seemed to have no strategic importance. The suggestion was that the towns were targeted simply because they rated three stars in the Baedeker guide book.
17. 1954 Audie Murphy western : DESTRY
“Destry” is a western film released in 1954 starring Audie Murphy in the title role. “Destry” is an adaptation of a Max Brand novel “Destry Rides Again”. The same novel was also used as the inspiration for a 1939 film “Destry Rides Again” starring James Stewart opposite Marlene Dietrich.
18. Prom amenity : LIMO RIDE
The word “limousine” actually derives from the French city of Limoges. The area around Limoges is called the Limousin, and it gave its name to a cloak hood worn by local shepherds. In early motor cars, a driver would sit outside in the weather while the passengers would sit in the covered compartment. The driver would often wear a limousin-style protective hood, giving rise to that type of transportation being called a “limousine”. Well, that’s how the story goes anyway …
A prom is a formal dance held upon graduation from high school (we call them “formals” over in Ireland). The term “prom” is short for “promenade”, the name given to a type of dance or ball.
21. “Every hero becomes a ___ at last”: Emerson : BORE
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an essayist and poet who was active in the mid-1800s. Most of the essays that Emerson wrote were composed originally as lectures and then revised for print.
22. W’s is 74 : AT NO
Tungsten is the chemical element with the symbol “W” and the atomic number of 74. The name “tungsten” is Swedish in origin, with “tung sten” translating as “heavy stone”. The material used in tungsten light bulbs is a tungsten alloy.
24. Biased writing?: Abbr. : ITAL
Italic type leans to the right. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.
25. Pounded side : POI
I am a big fan of starch (being an Irishman I love potatoes). That said, I think that poi tastes horrible! Poi is made from the bulbous tubers (corm) of the taro plant by cooking the corm in water and mashing it until the desired consistency is achieved.
26. Scrooge’s portrayer in “The Muppet Christmas Carol” : CAINE
Michael Caine appears as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge in the musical comedy “The Muppet Christmas Carol” released in 1992. The Muppets were the creation of Jim Henson, who passed away in 1990, so this production by the Jim Henson Company was directed by Brian Henson, Jim’s son.
27. Soul : ANIMA
The anima is a the soul or self of an individual.
30. Jaguar, for one : BIG CAT
The jaguar is the third largest feline in the world, after the tiger and the lion. The jaguar resembles a leopard, but is bigger. It is found through much of South and Central America as well as the southern US. The jaguar has a really strong bite, even compared to the bigger cats. It usually kills its prey by biting through the skull.
31. Classic brand in men’s apparel : IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.
36. Christ the ___ (Rio de Janeiro landmark) : REDEEMER
The iconic statue of Jesus overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is known as Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). The statue was constructed between 1922 and 1931. It is the largest Art Deco statue in the world, standing at over 30 feet tall.
42. Letters on some overseas packages : APO
Army Post Office (APO)
44. Dark green? : LUCRE
Our word “lucre” meaning “money, profits” comes from the Latin “lucrum” meaning the same thing.
45. Automotive plural selected in a 2011 promotion : PRII
According to Toyota, the plural of “Prius” is “Prii”.
The Toyota Prius is still the most fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered car sold in the US, according to the EPA. The name “Prius” is a Latin word meaning “ahead, leading”. In the US we pronounce the name “pree-us”, but across the Atlantic it’s pronounced “pry-us”. Oh, and I drive one …
49. ___ chicken : TANDOORI
Tandoori chicken is a dish often served in an Indian restaurant. The dish is comprised of roasted chicken covered in yogurt and spices, and takes its name from the clay oven used for the roasting, a tandoor.
52. Frozen treat with Alexander the Grape as one of its flavors : OTTER POP
Otter Pops are plastic tubes filled with frozen fruit juice. Well, Otter Pops are usually sold at room temperature and are frozen by the consumer before consumption.
53. 2010 U.S. Open winner McDowell : GRAEME
Graeme McDowell if a golfer from Portrush, Northern Ireland. In 2010, McDowell won the US Open, the first European to do so in 40 years.
54. Setting of the Levant : NEAR EAST
The Levant is the geographic region that lies east of the Mediterranean, covering modern-day Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Egypt. The term is sometimes also used synonymously with the Near East. Syria and Lebanon, when under French rule, were called the Levant States, a name still used at times for the two nations. As one might expect, the word Levant comes from French and was the Middle French word for “the Orient”. The term was used for the Orient as it described lands to the east, where the sun rises (from “lever”, the French word meaning “to rise”). Really, quite interesting …
55. Tito’s successor as head of the Non-Aligned Movement : NASSER
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of countries which are not aligned for or against any major power or major political bloc. The NAM was founded in 1961, and the movement was driven by the leaders of India, Indonesia, Egypt, Ghana and Yugoslavia. The aim of the NAM was to plot a middle course for developing nations, between the Western and Eastern blocs who were mired in the Cold War. The NAM is still active, but is generally viewed as less relevant since the end of the Cold War.
Down
3. Of pions and kaons : MESONIC
A meson is an unstable subatomic particle, made up of one quark and one antiquark.
“Pion” is short for “pi meson”, and “kaon” is short for “K meson”.
4. When clocks are set back for the end of daylight saving time : AT TWO
On the other side of the Atlantic, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring and backwards in the fall so that afternoons have more daylight.
5. Pi Day celebrant, perhaps : NERD
The first three digits of the mathematical constant “pi” are 3.14, so Pi Day has been celebrated on March 14th (3/14) every year since 1988 when it was inaugurated at the San Francisco Exploratorium. In countries where the day is usually written before the month, Pi Day is July 22nd, reflecting the more accurate approximation of pi as 22/7. Interestingly, March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.
7. Malaria enlarges them : SPLEENS
The spleen has a couple of functions in the human body. It removes old red blood cells, and recycles the iron contained therein. The waste product of this recycling is bile. It also holds a reserve of blood that can be released when necessary (if the body goes into “circulatory shock”). Greek and Roman physicians ascribed to the theory that the body had four basic substances, the so-called four humors. All diseases were caused by these four substances getting out of balance. The four humors were:
– Black bile (melancolia)
– Yellow bile (cholera)
– Phlegm (phlegma)
– Blood (sanguis)
Malaria is a disease passed onto humans by mosquitoes. As a result of the disease, a parasite invades human red blood cells and multiplies causing fever and possibly coma or death. Over 750,000 people died from malaria in 2009, out of 225 million cases reported.
8. It might be in a jam : QUINCE
The quince is a fruit related to the apple and pear. Some people suggest that the fruit eaten from the Tree of Knowledge by Adam and Eve was in fact a quince.
10. Midori on ice : ITO
Midori Ito is a Japanese figure skater. Ito was the first woman to land a triple/triple jump and a triple axel in competition. In fact she landed her first triple jump in training, when she was only 8 years old …
11. “White Christmas” singer, informally : DER BINGLE
During WWII, Bing Crosby performed lots of live shows in Europe for American troops. He also read propaganda broadcasts in German that were directed towards German forces. In Germany he became known as “Der Bingle”, a name that was eventually picked up by many of his English-speaking fans.
“White Christmas” is song composed by Irving Berlin. The famous 1942 recording of “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling single of all time.
13. Obama descriptor : NO DRAMA
Barack Obama earned the nickname “No Drama Obama” during the 2007-2008 presidential campaign, as his progress towards the White Office was viewed by many as relatively cautious and error-free.
26. Deceive : COZEN
What a lovely verb, “to cozen”! Meaning to cheat or hoodwink, the term comes from the Middle English word “cosin” meaning fraud or trickery.
27. “Revelations” choreographer : AILEY
Alvin Ailey was a dancer who formed his own group in New York in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The most famous work that Ailey choreographed was called “Revelations”.
33. Jazz legend who turned the Benny Goodman Trio into the Benny Goodman Quartet : HAMPTON
Lionel Hampton was a jazz vibraphone player from Louisville, Kentucky. Benny Goodman invited Hampton in 1936 to join what is was then the Benny Goodman Trio. The resulting Benny Goodman Quartet also included Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa.
35. Cornmeal mush : POLENTA
Polenta is a porridge made from finely ground corn. The term “polenta” is Italian.
37. Devil dogs : MARINES
The US Marines picked up the nickname “Devil Dogs” during WWI. It was reported at that time, though the story seems unfounded, that the German soldiers referred to the US Marines as “Teufel Hunden” meaning “Devil Dogs”. Even if the derivation was bogus, the nickname is still used to this day.
38. Height : EPITOME
The more common meaning of “epitome” is a perfect example of a group, quality, type etc. “Epitome” is also another word for an abstract or summary of a book or article.
44. One of two components of the drug Sinemet : L-DOPA
L-3,4-DihydrOxyPhenylAlanine, thankfully can be shortened to L-DOPA. Swedish scientist Arvid Carlsson won a Nobel Prize for showing that L-DOPA could be used to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s Syndrome.
45. Some athletic shoes : PUMAS
Puma is a German company that sells athletic shoes worldwide, but is most famous for producing soccer boots.
48. Manhattan’s ___ D. Roosevelt Park : SARA
Sara Delano Roosevelt Park is in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The park is named for Sara, the mother of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the only child of Sara Delano and James Roosevelt Sr. The Delano family history in America goes back to the pilgrim Philippe de Lannoy, an immigrant of Flemish descent who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The family name “de Lannoy” was anglicized here in the US, to “Delano”.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Back order? : REMAND
7. Main means of defense? : SQUID INK
15. First city bombed in W.W. II’s Baedeker Blitz : EXETER
16. Opted to duck : PUNTED ON
17. 1954 Audie Murphy western : DESTRY
18. Prom amenity : LIMO RIDE
19. It comes with lots of extras : CROWD SCENE
21. “Every hero becomes a ___ at last”: Emerson : BORE
22. W’s is 74 : AT NO
23. Not hunched over : ERECT
24. Biased writing?: Abbr. : ITAL
25. Pounded side : POI
26. Scrooge’s portrayer in “The Muppet Christmas Carol” : CAINE
27. Soul : ANIMA
28. Pens : ENCLOSES
30. Jaguar, for one : BIG CAT
31. Classic brand in men’s apparel : IZOD
32. Occur : FALL
33. Occur : HAPPEN
36. Christ the ___ (Rio de Janeiro landmark) : REDEEMER
40. Grace : ADORN
41. Small, round and shiny : BEADY
42. Letters on some overseas packages : APO
43. Person taking drugs : MULE
44. Dark green? : LUCRE
45. Automotive plural selected in a 2011 promotion : PRII
46. Court position : PLEA
47. They’re off on casual Fridays : DRESS SUITS
49. ___ chicken : TANDOORI
51. Indignant denial : I AM NOT!
52. Frozen treat with Alexander the Grape as one of its flavors : OTTER POP
53. 2010 U.S. Open winner McDowell : GRAEME
54. Setting of the Levant : NEAR EAST
55. Tito’s successor as head of the Non-Aligned Movement : NASSER
Down
1. Superman accessory : RED CAPE
2. Apply to : EXERT ON
3. Of pions and kaons : MESONIC
4. When clocks are set back for the end of daylight saving time : AT TWO
5. Pi Day celebrant, perhaps : NERD
6. Late October to March, in West Africa : DRY SEASON
7. Malaria enlarges them : SPLEENS
8. It might be in a jam : QUINCE
9. Not satisfied : UNMET
10. Midori on ice : ITO
11. “White Christmas” singer, informally : DER BINGLE
12. Beyond silly : IDIOTIC
13. Obama descriptor : NO DRAMA
14. Show reverence to, in a way : KNEEL AT
20. Called out : CRIED
26. Deceive : COZEN
27. “Revelations” choreographer : AILEY
29. Expert in facial recognition? : LIP READER
30. Recall reason : BAD DESIGN
32. They may be stoked : FEARS
33. Jazz legend who turned the Benny Goodman Trio into the Benny Goodman Quartet : HAMPTON
34. Worship : ADULATE
35. Cornmeal mush : POLENTA
36. It often comes with a “Thank You” : RECEIPT
37. Devil dogs : MARINES
38. Height : EPITOME
39. Whoop it up : ROISTER
41. Unpaid mine workers : BURROS
44. One of two components of the drug Sinemet : L-DOPA
45. Some athletic shoes : PUMAS
48. Manhattan’s ___ D. Roosevelt Park : SARA
50. A heavy metal band may have it : ORE
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