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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: Paula Gamache
THEME: Wisecrack … today’s themed answers feature the word WISE that has been CRACKED, so that WI- is at the beginning of the answer and -SE is at the end:
17A. *Migratory flock : WILD GEESE
30A. *Singer Amy with six Grammys : WINEHOUSE
36A. *Pegasus, notably : WINGED HORSE
42A. *”Regardless of the outcome …” : WIN OR LOSE
60A. Witticism … or, literally, a description of the answer to each of the four starred clues? : WISECRACK (WI-SE crack)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 9m 33s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Fed. procurement overseer : GSA
The US Government’s General Services Administration (GSA), as the name suggests, provides general services to other federal agencies. So for example, the GSA manages office space for the other agencies, and transportation.
4. Boito’s “Mefistofele,” e.g. : OPERA
Arrigo Boito was an Italian poet and librettist who completed one opera of his own (“Mefistofele”) and who left one other opera partially complete called “Nerone”. This incomplete opera tells the story of Rome at the time of Emperor Nero. “Nerone” was completed after Boito’s death by a trio of musicians, including Arturo Toscanini, and was premiered at La Scala in 1924, six years after Boito died.
9. “Delta of Venus” author Nin : ANAIS
Anaïs Nin was a French author, famous for her journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.
16. Bendel of fashion : HENRI
Henri Bendel founded his chain of women’s fashion stores by bringing the designs of Coco Chanel over to the US from Paris. Bendel decided to stop selling apparel in 2009 and focus on fashion accessories, cosmetics and gift items.
20. Small French case : ETUI
An etui is an ornamental case used to hold small items, in particular sewing needles. We imported both the case design and the word “etui” from France. The French also have a modern usage of “etui”, using the term to depict a case for carrying CDs.
25. Dada pioneer : ARP
Hans Arp was a French artist renowned for his work with torn and pasted paper, although that wasn’t the only medium he used. Arp was the son of a French mother and German father and spoke both languages fluently. When he was speaking German he gave his name as Hans Arp, but when speaking French he called himself Jean Arp. Both “Hans” and “Jean” translate into English as “John”. In WWI Arp moved to Switzerland to avoid being called up to fight, taking advantage of Swiss neutrality. Eventually he was told to report to the German Consulate and fill out paperwork for the draft. In order to get out of fighting, Arp messed up the paperwork by writing the date in every blank space on the forms. Then he took off all of his clothes and walked with his papers over to the officials in charge. He was sent home …
Dadaism thrived during and just after WWI, and was an anti-war, anti-bourgeois and anti-art culture. The movement began in Zurich, Switzerland started by a group of artists and writers who met to discuss art and put on performances in the Cabaret Voltaire, frequently expressing disgust at the war that was raging across Europe.
29. Greek letter traditionally associated with Earth Day : THETA
The Earth Day movement uses a green theta as its symbol. Theta has long been an icon used to represent the Earth.
Earth Day was founded in the US, an event introduced by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Earth Day was designed to increase awareness and appreciation of our planet’s natural environment. The original Earth Day was on April 22nd, 1970. Decades later, the day is observed in over 175 countries.
30. *Singer Amy with six Grammys : WINEHOUSE
Amy Winehouse was a much-ridiculed singer from the UK whose life was fraught with very public bouts of drug and alcohol abuse. Winehouse’s lifestyle caught up with her in 2011 when she was found dead from alcohol poisoning. The unfortunate singer was only 27 years old when she died, which means she is now viewed as a member of the “27 Club”. This “club” is made up of famous musicians who all died at the age of 27, including Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of the Doors, and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana.
36. *Pegasus, notably : WINGED HORSE
Pegasus is a white, winged stallion of Greek mythology.
39. Asian capital that was from 2004-07 home of the world’s tallest building : TAIPEI
The building known as Taipei 101, in the capital of Taiwan, is so-called because it has 101 floors. It was the tallest skyscraper in the world from 2004 until 2010, when the Burj Khalifa was completed in Dubai.
41. ___ Minor : URSA
Ursa Minor sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and so was once called “Dragon’s Wing”.
44. News items often written years in advance : OBITS
The term “obituary” comes from the Latin “obituaris”, originally the record of the death of a person, although the literal meaning is “pertaining to death”.
50. D.C. V.I.P. : SEN
A senator (sen.) is a VIP in Washington, D.C.
51. Dim sum dish : SHUMAI
Shumai are traditional pork dumplings that are often served in dim sum restaurants.
Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.
52. Yale Whale players : ELIS
“The Whale” is a familiar name for the Ingalls Rink on the campus of Yale University. The rink is used primarily for playing hockey, and opened for business in 1958. The building’s nickname of “the Whale” is due to the unusual design created by architect Eero Saarinen.
Elihu Yale was a wealthy merchant born in Boston in 1649. Yale worked for the British East India Company, and for many years served as governor of a settlement at Madras (now Chennai) in India. After India, Yale took over his father’s estate near Wrexham in Wales. It was while resident in Wrexham that Yale responded to a request for financial support for the Collegiate School of Connecticut in 1701. He sent the school a donation, which was used to erect a new building in New Haven that was named “Yale” in his honor. In 1718, the whole school was renamed to “Yale College”. To this day, students of Yale are nicknamed “Elis”, again honoring Elihu.
54. Blarney Stone home : ERIN
Blarney is a town in County Cork in the south of Ireland. Blarney is home to Blarney Castle, and inside the castle is the legendary Blarney Stone. “Kissing the Blarney Stone” is a ritual engaged in by oh so many tourists (indeed, I’ve done it myself!), but it’s not a simple process. The stone is embedded in the wall of the castle, and in order to kiss it you have to sit on the edge of the parapet and lean way backwards so that your head is some two feet below your body. There is a staff member there to help you and make sure you don’t fall. The Blarney Stone has been labelled as the world’s most unhygienic tourist attraction! But once you’ve kissed it, supposedly you are endowed with the “gift of the gab”, the ability to talk eloquently and perhaps deceptively without offending. Sure, I wouldn’t know …
57. Stat for A-Rod : RBIS
Runs batted in (RBIs)
Poor old Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just A-Rod. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there is a perception that teams go cold when he joins them and hot when he leaves. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez is now seems to be in a world of hurt for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
58. Take care of a fly? : ZIP UP
On an item of clothing, a “fly” is a covering for an opening in the garment that conceals a zip, velcro or buttons. The term has come to be used for the opening in the front of a man’s pants, which is often a zip covered by a fly.
62. Año’s start : ENERO
In Spanish, a year (año) starts in January (enero) and ends in December (diciembre).
64. Who said “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall” : CHE
Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in Argentina, and in 1948 he started to study medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. While at school he satisfied his need to “see the world” by taking two long journeys around South America, the story of which are told in Guevara’s memoir later published as “The Motorcycle Diaries”. While travelling, Guevara was moved by the plight of the people he saw and their working conditions and what he viewed as capitalistic exploitation. In Mexico City he met brothers Raul and Fidel Castro and was persuaded to join their cause, the overthrow of the US-backed government in Cuba. He rose to second-in-command among the Cuban insurgents, and when Castro came to power Guevara was influential in repelling the Bay of Pigs Invasion and bringing Soviet nuclear missiles to the island. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to continue his work as a revolutionary. He was captured by Bolivian forces in 1967, and was executed. Fidel Castro led the public mourning of Guevara’s death, and soon the revolutionary was an icon for many left-wing movements around the world.
65. “Hollywood Nights” singer Bob : SEGER
Bob Seger struggled as a performing artist right through the sixties and early seventies before becoming a commercial success in 1976 with the release of his album “Night Moves”. Since then, Seger has recorded songs that have become classics like, “We’ve Got Tonight” and “Old Time Rock & Roll”.
66. Bronx Bombers : YANKS
The New York Yankees baseball team has the nickname “the Bronx Bombers”. The nickname reflects where the team plays (the Bronx) and the team’s reputation for hitting (bombers).
67. Le Mans race unit: Abbr. : KIL
“Kilometer” is a word that for some reason always gets an overly emotional reaction from me. Firstly, I am a big fan of the metric system and would happily forego the eccentricities of the miles, yards and feet with which I grew up. Secondly, I have to remember to change the spelling from “kilometre” that I learned at school, to “kilometer” that is used in the US. Thirdly, I get some funny looks for pronouncing the word as “KIL-ometer”, the pronunciation most common in English-speaking countries that use the metric system. Here in the US the most common pronunciation is “kil-OM-eter”. Maybe I should learn not to sweat the small stuff …
Le Mans is a city in northwestern France. The city is famous for the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race that has been held annually since 1923. The 24-hour race uses the city’s race track, but closed city streets are also used for part of the circuit.
Down
4. “Yipe!,” online : OMG
OMG is text-speak for “Oh My Gosh!” “Oh My Goodness!” or any other G words you might think of …
5. Wordsworth words : POESY
“Poesy” is an alternative name for poetry, often used to mean the “art of poetry”.
The great English poet William Wordsworth is intrinsically linked with the Lake District in the north of England, where he lived from much of his life. The Lake District is a beautiful part of the country, and I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Dove Cottage in Grasmere a couple of times, where Wordsworth lived with his sister Dorothy …
6. Sporting weapon : EPEE
The épée that is used in today’s sport fencing is derived from the old French dueling sword. In fact, the the sport of épée fencing is very similar to the dualing of the 19th century. The word “épée” translates from French as “sword”.
8. Hypothetical primate : APE MAN
The scientific community doesn’t really embrace the concept of a “missing link” anymore. The idea that the there is or was an “ape man” that links the human species with “lower animals” has fallen by the wayside.
11. Like a “Better active today than radioactive tomorrow” sentiment : ANTINUKE
“Better active today than radioactive tomorrow” is a slogan that has been used by anti-nuclear campaigns for decades.
24. Brothers of old Hollywood : WARNERS
The Warner Bros. film studio was founded by four Warner brothers, although their original family name was Wonskolaser. All were Polish Jews who came to the US via Canada. The company is now a major subsidiary of Time Warner.
27. Mummy, maybe : PHARAOH
We use the term “mummy” for a dead body that has been embalmed in preparation for burial, especially if done so by the ancient Egyptians. The term “mummy” comes from the Persian word “mumiyah” meaning “embalmed body”.
30. Golfer Michelle : WIE
Michelle Wie is an American golfer on the LPGA Tour. Wie began playing golf at the age of four and was the youngest player ever to qualify for an LPGA tour event. She turned pro just before her 16th birthday …
31. River through Pakistan : INDUS
The Indus river rises in Tibet and flows through the length of Pakistan and empties into the Arabian Sea, the part of the Indian Ocean lying to the west of the Indian subcontinent. The Indus gives its name to the country of India as “India” used to be the name of the region (which paradoxically is now in modern-day Pakistan) along the eastern banks of the river.
32. Training acad. : OCS
Officer Candidate School (OCS)
36. Manitoba’s capital : WINNIPEG
Manitoba is the Canadian province that borders the US states of North Dakota and Minnesota. Even though Manitoba has an area of over 250,000 square miles, 60% of its population resides in the province’s capital city of Winnipeg.
37. Big W.S.J. news : IPO
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the very first offer of stock for sale by a company on the open market. In other words, an IPO marks the first time that a company is traded on a public exchange. Companies have an IPO to raise capital to expand (usually).
“The Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) is a daily newspaper with a business bent that is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company. The WSJ has a larger US circulation than any other newspaper, with “USA Today” coming in second place.
38. Charlemagne’s domain: Abbr. : HRE
The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) existed from 962 to 1806 AD and was a territory of varying size over the centuries that centered on the Kingdom of Germany. The HRE was a successor to the western half of the Ancient Roman Empire.
Pepin the Short (aka Pepin the Younger, Pepin III) was Duke of the Franks from 751 to 768. Pepin expanded the Frankish Empire and then law dictated that he had to leave the Empire divided between his two sons, Carloman I and Charlemagne. Carloman I was given lands that were centered around Paris, and Charlemagne was given lands that completely surrounded his brothers territory. So it fell to Charlemagne to defend and extend the borders of the empire. It is because of this division of power that it’s Charlemagne who we read about today, not Carloman I. It was Emperor Charlemagne who in effect founded the Holy Roman Empire.
39. Plucks, as brows : TWEEZES
Tweezers are small metal pincers used in handling small objects. Back in the 1600s, “tweeze” was the name given to the case in which such an implement was kept, and over time the case gave its name to the device itself. “Tweeze” evolved from “etweese”, the plural of “etwee”, which came from “étui “, the French word for a “small case”.
43. Like a relationship with a narcissist : ONE-WAY
Narcissus was a proud and vain hunter in Greek mythology. He earned himself a fatal punishment, being made fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. So, take was he by his own image, that he could not leave it and wasted away and died by the pool.
45. Historical subject for Gore Vidal : BURR
“Burr” is a fictional memoir of former US Vice President Aaron Burr that was written by Gore Vidal. “Burr” is one of seven historical novels written by Vidal in a series called the “Narratives of Empire”. The series chronicles the history of what Vidal called “the American Empire”.
47. Chinese martial art : T’AI CHI
More properly called t’ai chi chuan, t’ai chi is a martial art mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.
48. Onetime colleague of Ebert : SISKEL
51. “___ Previews” (onetime show of 48-Down) : SNEAK
“Sneak Previews” was a television show created by the Chicago PBS affiliate from the seventies through the nineties. Most famously, the show was presented for many years by the film critics Roger Ebert (from the “Chicago Sun-Times”) and Gene Siskel (from the “Chicago Tribune”).
55. Journalist Skeeter of the Harry Potter books : RITA
Rita Skeeter is a character in the “Harry Potter” series of fantasy novels written by J. K. Rowlings. Skeeter is a journalist who writes for the “Daily Prophet” and the Witch Weekly”. Skeeter was played by English actress Miranda Richardson in the “Harry Potter” movies.
56. Amazon.com ID : ISBN
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) was invented by one Gordon Foster who is now a professor at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The code was originally developed for booksellers, so that they had a unique number (and now a barcode) for each publication.
59. ___ favor : POR
“Por favor” is Spanish for “please”.
61. Amt. to the right of a decimal point : CTS
Cents (cts.)
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Fed. procurement overseer : GSA
4. Boito’s “Mefistofele,” e.g. : OPERA
9. “Delta of Venus” author Nin : ANAIS
14. Giver of a hoot : OWL
15. Remove, as a spill : MOP UP
16. Bendel of fashion : HENRI
17. *Migratory flock : WILD GEESE
19. Couldn’t stand : HATED
20. Small French case : ETUI
21. Appear : SEEM
22. Plenteous : RIFE
23. Cuckoo in the head : SCREWY
25. Dada pioneer : ARP
28. Heart : NUB
29. Greek letter traditionally associated with Earth Day : THETA
30. *Singer Amy with six Grammys : WINEHOUSE
33. Drought ender : RAIN
35. Group of papers : PACKET
36. *Pegasus, notably : WINGED HORSE
39. Asian capital that was from 2004-07 home of the world’s tallest building : TAIPEI
41. ___ Minor : URSA
42. *”Regardless of the outcome …” : WIN OR LOSE
44. News items often written years in advance : OBITS
49. Directional suffix : -ERN
50. D.C. V.I.P. : SEN
51. Dim sum dish : SHUMAI
52. Yale Whale players : ELIS
54. Blarney Stone home : ERIN
57. Stat for A-Rod : RBIS
58. Take care of a fly? : ZIP UP
60. Witticism … or, literally, a description of the answer to each of the four starred clues? : WISECRACK
62. Año’s start : ENERO
63. Facing the pitcher : AT BAT
64. Who said “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall” : CHE
65. “Hollywood Nights” singer Bob : SEGER
66. Bronx Bombers : YANKS
67. Le Mans race unit: Abbr. : KIL
Down
1. Head toward the setting sun : GO WEST
2. Trade, as places : SWITCH
3. Attraction : ALLURE
4. “Yipe!,” online : OMG
5. Wordsworth words : POESY
6. Sporting weapon : EPEE
7. Artifice : RUSE
8. Hypothetical primate : APE MAN
9. “Yes … that’s the spot … yes!” : AHH!
10. Approaching : NEAR
11. Like a “Better active today than radioactive tomorrow” sentiment : ANTINUKE
12. “You can’t make me!” : I REFUSE!
13. Not the main action : SIDE BET
18. Course-altering plan? : DIET
24. Brothers of old Hollywood : WARNERS
26. Auto take-backs : REPOS
27. Mummy, maybe : PHARAOH
30. Golfer Michelle : WIE
31. River through Pakistan : INDUS
32. Training acad. : OCS
34. Like a ballerina : AGILE
36. Manitoba’s capital : WINNIPEG
37. Big W.S.J. news : IPO
38. Charlemagne’s domain: Abbr. : HRE
39. Plucks, as brows : TWEEZES
40. Fleet operator : AIRLINE
43. Like a relationship with a narcissist : ONE-WAY
45. Historical subject for Gore Vidal : BURR
46. “It’s me again” : I’M BACK
47. Chinese martial art : T’AI CHI
48. Onetime colleague of Ebert : SISKEL
51. “___ Previews” (onetime show of 48-Down) : SNEAK
53. Not doubting : SURE
55. Journalist Skeeter of the Harry Potter books : RITA
56. Amazon.com ID : ISBN
59. ___ favor : POR
61. Amt. to the right of a decimal point : CTS
The Best of the New York Times Crossword Collections
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Dear Bill,
I very much enjoy your musings and explanations of the clues, so I just wanted to mention that Dorothy was, I think, Wordsworth's sister, rather than his wife.
All the best,
Geordiegirl
Hi there, Geordiegirl.
Thank you for the kind words about the blog, and thank you especially for catching my error re Wordsworth.
One can always rely on help from Tyneside 🙂