0319-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 19 Mar 14, Wednesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
15. Tooth next to a canine : PREMOLAR
Molars are grinding teeth. The term “molar” comes from the Latin “mola” meaning “millstone”.

The canine teeth of a mammal are also called the eye teeth. The name “canine” is used because these particular teeth are very prominent in dogs. The name “eye” is used because in humans the eye teeth are located in the upper jaw, directly below the eyes.

16. The “cave” of “cave canem” : BEWARE
“Cave canem” is Latin for “beware of the dog”.

17. Go away as a marathoner might? : RUN ALONG
The marathon is run over 26 miles and 385 yards, and of course commemorates the legendary messenger-run by Pheidippides from the site of the Battle of Marathon back to Athens. The actual distance run today was decided in 1921, and matches the length of the modern-day Marathon-Athens highway.

18. Go away as a Michael Jackson impersonator might? : BEAT IT
The song “Beat It” was written and performed by Michael Jackson, and released in 1982 on the iconic “Thriller” album. The song features a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen.
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19. Z abroad : ZETA
Zeta is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a precursor of our Roman letter Z. The word “zeta” is also the ancestor of the name “zed”, which became “zee”, the pronunciation that we use here in the US.

20. Yank rival : JAY
The Toronto Blue Jays baseball franchise was founded in 1977. The Blue Jays are the only team based outside the US to have won a World Series, doing so in 1992 and 1993. And since the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, the Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball team now headquartered outside of the US.

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).

29. Some Marine NCOs : SSGTS
Staff sergeant (SSgt)

An NCO is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. Usually such an officer is one who has earned his or her rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks. A good example would be a sergeant.

31. Neural conductor : AXON
A nerve cell is more correctly called a neuron, and the long nerve fiber that is part of a neuron is called the axon.

32. Wrinkle-reducing shot : BOTOX
Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin is a protein that can cause botulism, an extremely dangerous illness in humans and animals. Botulinum toxin is sold under the trade name Botox. Botox is used therapeutically and in cosmetic applications to weaken muscles, perhaps muscles that are in uncontrollable spasm. The cosmetic application involves the paralyzing of facial muscles in order to eliminate or reduce wrinkles, at least for a few months.

37. Go away as a bumblebee might? : BUZZ OFF
Bumblebees aren’t very aggressive, but they can sting if they deem it necessary. Unlike honey bees, bumblebees survive the stinging action as their stinger has no barb. There are a few misconceptions about bumblebees. One is that a bumblebee should be incapable of flight based on the laws of aerodynamics, but this isn’t true. Another misconception is that the bee’s buzzing sound is caused by the beating of its wings. In fact, the sound comes from the vibration of its flight muscles. The bee can decouple those muscle from its wings, and so can make a buzzing sound without the wings moving at all.

40. Go away as a speaker of pig Latin might? : AMSCRAY
Pig Latin is in effect a game. One takes the first consonant or consonant cluster of an English word and moves it to the end of the word, and then adds the letters “ay”. So the Pig Latin for the word “nix” is “ix-n-ay” … ixnay, and for “scram” is “am-scr-ay”

44. Particle theorized in 1977 : AXION
In theory, large quantities of axions were created during the Big Bang. They are purely theoretical particles, and have never been observed in reality. Axions may be a component of dark matter.

46. Carnivore that both hunts and scavenges : HYENA
Hyenas have the reputation of being cowardly scavengers. That said, the spotted hyena that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa actually kills about 95% of its food and a pack of spotted hyenas are capable of driving off leopards or lionesses before they can consume their kill.

54. Caffeine-laden nuts : KOLAS
The nut of the kola tree has a bitter taste, and is loaded with caffeine. Despite the taste, the nut is habitually chewed in some cultures, especially in West Africa where the tree is commonly found in the rainforest. Of course in the US we best know the kola nut as a flavoring used in cola drinks.

56. With 63- and 65-Across, go away as a soda jerk might? : MAKE LIKE A
63. See 56-Across : BANANA
65. See 56-Across : AND SPLIT
The banana split was created in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904. This particular sundae was the idea of David Stickler, a young apprentice pharmacist at the Tassel Pharmacy’s soda fountain.

In the halcyon days of yore, a “soda jerk” was usually a young person whose main job was to serve ice cream sodas in a drugstore. The server would “jerk” the handle on the soda fountain to dispense the soda water, giving the job its distinctive name.

69. A solar system “ice giant” : URANUS
The eight planets of our solar system can be sorted into two categories. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are “terrestrials” as they are largely composed of rock. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are “gas giants”, as they are largely composed of gaseous material. Uranus and Neptune can be called “ice giants”, a subcategory of gas giants. Ice giants have a lower mass than other gas giants, with very little hydrogen and helium in their atmospheres and a higher proportion of rock and ice.

72. F. A. O. Schwarz, for one : TOY STORE
FAO Schwarz is perhaps the most famous, and is certainly the oldest toy store in the United States. The FAO Schwarz outlet on Fifth Avenue in New York City has been made very famous by Hollywood. For example, in the New York Store you can see that floor piano that was played by Tom Hanks in the movie “Big”.

Down
1. “Science Friday” airer : NPR
“Science Friday” is an excellent talk show broadcast every Friday on NPR, and hosted by Ira Flatow. Flatow is known on television as the host of “Newton’s Apple”, which ran from 1983 to 1998.

2. Tulsa sch. with a Prayer Tower : ORU
Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ORU was founded relatively recently, in 1963 by the late televangelist Oral Roberts. The campus includes a Prayer Tower at its center, a spectacular glass and steel structure designed by architect Frank Wallace. The tower includes an observation deck, and is a popular tourist attraction.

3. Mad-when-wet bird, idiomatically : HEN
Someone described as “mad as a wet hen” is “very angry”.

5. Form of flamenco : SOLEA
The “Soleá” (plural “Soleares”) is a style of flamenco music performed by a singer with only one guitar player accompanying.

6. Poky sorts : SLOTHS
“Sloth”, meaning “indolence, sluggishness”, comes from the Middle English word “slowe”, the same root for our contemporary word “slow”. The animal, the sloth, is named for its slow-moving behavior.

7. Hawaiian verandas : LANAIS
A lanai is a type of veranda, a design that originated in Hawaii. A kind blog reader tells me that the etymology of “lanai” seems unclear, but that the island name of “Lana’i” is not related.

8. Joule fraction : ERG
An erg is a unit of energy or mechanical work. “Erg” comes from the Greek word “ergon” meaning “work”. A dyne is a unit of force. The name “dyne” comes from the Greek “dynamis” meaning “power, force”. Ergs and dynes are related to each other in that one erg is the amount of energy needed to move a force of one dyne over a distance of one centimeter.

James Joule was an English physicist who spent much of his life working in the family brewing business. Joule used his work in the brewery to study the relationship between heat and mechanical work. In honor of his achievements, his name is used for the unit of energy in the International System of Units (i.e. the joule).

9. Group featured in “Mamma Mia!” : ABBA
The hit musical “Mamma Mia!” was written to showcase the songs of ABBA. I’m a big fan of ABBA’s music, so I’ve seen this show a couple of times and just love it. “Mamma Mia!” is such a big hit on the stage that on any given day there are at least seven performances going on somewhere in the world. There is a really interesting film version of the show that was released in 2008. I think the female lead Meryl Streep is wonderful in the movie, but the male leads … not so much! By the way, one can tell the difference between “Mamma Mia” the ABBA song and “Mamma Mia!” the musical, by noting the difference in the punctuation in the titles.

11. Carrier in “The Aviator” : TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a big carrier in the US, but was perhaps even more recognized for its extensive presence in Europe and the Middle East. For many years, especially after the collapse of Pan-Am, TWA was considered the unofficial flag carrier for the US. The company started in 1930, the product of a forced merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express. The Transcontinental and Western Air that resulted (the original meaning of the acronym TWA) was what the Postmaster General wanted, a bigger airline to which the Postal Service could award airmail contracts.

“The Aviator” is a great film from 2004, a biographical piece about much of the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title role, with Cate Blanchett playing a very credible Katharine Hepburn, Hughes’ lover with whom he lived for quite some time. Blanchett won a very much deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Alan Alda received an Oscar nomination as a supporting actor, playing Senator Owen Brewster, a thorn in the side for Howard Hughes.

13. British upper-cruster, for short : ARISTO
“Aristo” is short for “aristocrat”.

20. Volkswagen model since 1979 : JETTA
The name Jetta is one in a series of names related to winds that has been used by Volkswagen. Jetta comes from the German for “jet stream””, and the model name Passat comes from the German for “trade wind”.

22. Ernest of country music : TUBB
Ernest Tubb was a pioneering country music singer and songwriter. Tubb’s biggest hit was “Walking the Floor Over You”, which he released in 1941.

23. Not worth ___ : A SOU
A sou is an old French coin. We use the term “sou” to mean “an almost worthless amount”.

24. Willy who lent his name to a historic Manhattan deli : KATZ
Katz’s of New York City is a famous delicatessen in Manhattan, New York City. Ever since WWII, Katz’s has had a promotion called “send a salami to your boy in the army”. Katz’s has shipped a lot of salamis in gift packages to Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

25. British scale divs. : KGS
Some weighing scales in Britain are marked in kilograms, although many are still marked in stones and pounds.

27. “Pride and Prejudice” protagonist : DARCY
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy has to be one of the great romantic leads in English literature. He of course appears opposite Miss Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”. There have been many (terrible) “sequels” written for “Pride and Prejudice”, but I have read one “spin off” that I heartily recommend if you’d like to explore the story of Elizabeth and Darcy some more. There is a three-part novel called “Fitzwilliam Darcy: Gentleman” written by Pamela Aidan and published in 2003-2005. Ms. Aiden does a great job retelling the story of “Pride and Prejudice”, but from Darcy’s perspective. It really is a great read, even for die-hard Austen fans …

30. College football star Michael in 2014 news : SAM
Michael Sam played college football for the University of Missouri, and it seems that he is likely to be signed by an NFL team. If that happens, Sam will become the first active NFL player to have declared himself gay.

33. Conductor Seiji : OZAWA
Seiji Ozawa is most famous for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, although he is also the principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera. Ozawa is renowned for wearing a white turtleneck under his dress suit when he conducts, rather than the traditional starched shirt and white tie.

34. Worthless tic-tac-toe row : XOX
When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

38. Garden of Eden tree : FIG
The third plant named in the Bible, after the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, was the fig tree. Adam and Eve used leaves from the fig tree to sew garments when they realized that they were naked.

42. Hathaway of “Becoming Jane” : ANNE
“Becoming Jane” is a biographical film that depicts the early life of author Jane Austen. American actress Anne Hathaway played the title role, to mixed reviews. Personally I loved the film, and Hathaway’s performance.

43. When tripled, a Seinfeld catchphrase : YADA
“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.

45. Museum-funding org. : NEA
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)

48. Official with a seal : NOTARY
A notary public is a public officer licensed to perform specific legal actions in non-contentious legal matters. The main duties are to administer oaths, take affidavits and witness the execution of documents.

52. Like some short-term N.B.A. contracts : TEN-DAY
In the world of basketball, a free agent might sign a 10-day contract, an arrangement that lasts ten days of for three games, whichever comes first.

55. Hole in one’s head? : SINUS
In anatomical terms a sinus is a cavity in tissue. Sinuses are found all over the body, in the kidney and heart for example, but we most commonly think of the paranasal sinuses that surround the nose.

61. Usain Bolt event : DASH
Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.

65. Prince Edward Island hrs. : AST
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) is four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The list of locations that use AST includes Puerto Rico and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a maritime Canadian province. The island at the center of the province was named for Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.

66. Mekong Valley native : LAO
The official name for the country of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In the Lao language, the country’s name is “Meuang Lao”. The French ruled Laos as part of French Indochina, having united three separate Lao kingdoms. As there was a plural of “Lao” entities united into one, the French added the “S” and so today we tend to use “Laos” instead of “Lao”.

The Mekong is the twelfth longest river in the world, at over 2,700 miles in length. It rises in the Tibetan Plateau and empties into the South China Sea at the famed Mekong delta system in Vietnam.

67. Sale rack abbr. : IRR
Irregular (irr.)

68. Rope on a ship : TYE
In the nautical world, a “tye” can be either a chain or a rope and is used to hoist a spar up a mast.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Easy, in adspeak : NO HASSLE
9. Like the stars : ASTRAL
15. Tooth next to a canine : PREMOLAR
16. The “cave” of “cave canem” : BEWARE
17. Go away as a marathoner might? : RUN ALONG
18. Go away as a Michael Jackson impersonator might? : BEAT IT
19. Z abroad : ZETA
20. Yank rival : JAY
21. Pothook shape : ESS
22. Go away as an outdoorsman might? : TAKE A HIKE
26. Augment : ADD TO
28. Olympics chant : USA
29. Some Marine NCOs : SSGTS
31. Neural conductor : AXON
32. Wrinkle-reducing shot : BOTOX
35. Step up or down : STAIR
37. Go away as a bumblebee might? : BUZZ OFF
40. Go away as a speaker of pig Latin might? : AMSCRAY
44. Particle theorized in 1977 : AXION
46. Carnivore that both hunts and scavenges : HYENA
47. Overwhelm with flattery : SNOW
50. “Wonderful!” : GREAT!
53. Word with living or dead : END
54. Caffeine-laden nuts : KOLAS
56. With 63- and 65-Across, go away as a soda jerk might? : MAKE LIKE A
59. “___ be a pleasure!” : IT’D
60. They’re checked at the door : IDS
62. ___ instant : IN AN
63. See 56-Across : BANANA
65. See 56-Across : AND SPLIT
69. A solar system “ice giant” : URANUS
70. Sculptor’s works : STATUARY
71. “For heaven’s sake!” : MY GOSH!
72. F. A. O. Schwarz, for one : TOY STORE

Down
1. “Science Friday” airer : NPR
2. Tulsa sch. with a Prayer Tower : ORU
3. Mad-when-wet bird, idiomatically : HEN
4. Knock the socks off : AMAZE
5. Form of flamenco : SOLEA
6. Poky sorts : SLOTHS
7. Hawaiian verandas : LANAIS
8. Joule fraction : ERG
9. Group featured in “Mamma Mia!” : ABBA
10. “Later!” : SEE YA!
11. Carrier in “The Aviator” : TWA
12. Hard-core : RATED X
13. British upper-cruster, for short : ARISTO
14. Reveals one’s feelings : LETS ON
20. Volkswagen model since 1979 : JETTA
22. Ernest of country music : TUBB
23. Not worth ___ : A SOU
24. Willy who lent his name to a historic Manhattan deli : KATZ
25. British scale divs. : KGS
27. “Pride and Prejudice” protagonist : DARCY
30. College football star Michael in 2014 news : SAM
33. Conductor Seiji : OZAWA
34. Worthless tic-tac-toe row : XOX
36. “Sorta” suffix : -ISH
38. Garden of Eden tree : FIG
39. Much paperwork : FORMS
41. Need a bath badly : REEK
42. Hathaway of “Becoming Jane” : ANNE
43. When tripled, a Seinfeld catchphrase : YADA
45. Museum-funding org. : NEA
47. One often in need of a lift? : SKI BUM
48. Official with a seal : NOTARY
49. Racetrack has-been : OLD NAG
51. Closely resembling : AKIN TO
52. Like some short-term N.B.A. contracts : TEN-DAY
55. Hole in one’s head? : SINUS
57. Stands the test of time : LASTS
58. Raw data, often : INPUT
61. Usain Bolt event : DASH
64. “It’s ___-brainer” : A NO
65. Prince Edward Island hrs. : AST
66. Mekong Valley native : LAO
67. Sale rack abbr. : IRR
68. Rope on a ship : TYE

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