0911-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 11 Sep 14, Thursday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
6.: “Much ___ About Nothing”: AGO (changes to ADO)
“Much Ado About Nothing” is a favorite of mine, a play by William Shakespeare. It is a comedic tale of two pairs of lovers with lots of mistaken identities and double meanings. I once saw it performed in the fabulous Globe Theatre in London … by an all-female cast!

14.: Canadian pop singer Lavigne: AVAIL (changes to AVRIL)
Avril Lavigne is a Canadian musician. Lavigne was the youngest female solo artist to reach number one in the charts in the UK, which she did at 17 years of age in 2002 with her debut album “Let Go”.

15.: Hawaii’s Mauna ___: LEA (changes to 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”.

20.: Hum follower: VIE (changes to VEE)
“Humvee” is a nickname for the military vehicle developed by AM General. The full name is High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle i.e. HMMWV, or simply “Humvee”.

23.: Brazilian baker?: SEL (changes to SOL)
In Portuguese, one might bake in the sun (sol).

Brazil is the largest country in South America, and the fifth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, China and the US). Brazil was a Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1815. The official name of the country under Portuguese rule was Terra da Santa Cruz (Land of the Holy Cross). However, European sailors used the name Terra do Brasil (Land of Brazil), a reference to the brazilwood tree that was much prized in Europe for the deep red dye that it produced.

30.: Archaic “Curses!”: FOE (changes to FIE!)
“Fie!” and “ptui!” are both exclamations of disgust.

31.: Fish oil source: CAD (changes to COD)
Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins A and D. I remember being dosed with the stuff as a kid. Ugh …

33.: Reading material, for short: LOT (changes to LIT)
Literature (lit.)

40.: Simon & Garfunkel’s “I ___ Rock”: ADA (changes to AM A)
“I Am a Rock” is a lovely song written by Paul Simon that appears on the Simon and Garfunkel album “Sounds of Silence”.

47.: Starsky’s partner: HUNCH (changes to HUTCH)
“Starsky & Hutch” is a fun cop show that ran for four seasons on television in the seventies. The lead roles were played by David Soul (Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson) and Paul Michael Glaser (David Starsky). It was Glaser who really brought the show to a close. He tried to get out of his contract during filming of the third season (even suing to do so). He tried again during the fourth season, and then plans to film a fifth season were just dropped.

49.: President between James and Andrew, briefly: AVE (changes to ABE)
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the US, elected in 1860 as the first president from the Republican Party. Lincoln’s electoral support came almost exclusively from the north and west of the country, winning only two out 996 counties in the Southern slave states. Lincoln led the country through Civil War, and then was assassinated in 1865 just a few days after Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of Northern Virginia. President Lincoln was succeeded in office by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

James Buchanan was US President just prior to the Civil War. He was the only president from the state of Pennsylvania, and also the only president who remained a bachelor for the whole of his life. As he was unmarried, Buchanan’s niece Harriet Lane acted as First Lady. Buchanan earned the nickname “Ten-Cent Jimmie” during the 1856 presidential election campaign. He was famous for his claim that ten cents a day was enough for a working man to live on.

Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the US, the man who came to power after the assassination of President Lincoln. As well as being Lincoln’s successor, Johnson is remembered as the first sitting president to be impeached. Johnson fell foul of the so-called “Radical Republicans” due to his efforts to quickly incorporate the southern states back into the Union. His political opponents chose the Tenure of Office Act as their “weapon” for impeachment. The Act prevented a president from removing an appointee of a past-president without the consent of the Senate. Johnson had removed the sitting Secretary of War without consulting Congress creating the opportunity for an impeachment trial in Congress. He was acquitted though, as his opponents fell one vote shy of the majority needed. The impeachment of President Johnson was the only presidential impeachment until that of President Clinton in 1999.

50.: First state: Abbr.: DHL (changes to DEL)
The state of Delaware takes its name from Virginia’s first colonial governor, Englishman Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. Delaware is known as “The First State” as it was the first to ratify the US Constitution, in 1787. It is also the second smallest state in the union, after Rhode Island.

52.: Excellent drivers often break it: PER (changes to PAR)
An excellent driver of a golf ball might break par.

62.: “___ Joey” (Sinatra film): POL (changes to PAL)
“Pal Joey” is a 1940 novel by John O’Hara that was made into a stage musical and musical film with music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart. There are two well-known songs from the musical: “I Could Write a Book” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”. There’s also a film called “Pal Joey” starring Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. The film is loosely based on the stage musical.

72.: Slew: TNN (changes to TON)
The terms “slew” and “raft” can be used to mean “large amount”.

73.: Georgia campus: EMERY (changes to EMORY)
Emory is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia with a focus on graduate research. The school was named after a Methodist Episcopal bishop called John Emory, who was very popular at the time of the school’s founding in 1836.

74.: Priest of ancient Gaul: DROID (changes to DRUID)
Druids were priests in Celtic Europe during the Iron Age.

76.: Perez of film: ROXIE (changes to ROSIE)
Rosie Perez is an American actress born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent. As well as pursuing her acting career, Perez is an activist promoting Puerto Rican rights, and was arrested in 2000 at a rally to protest US Navy weapons-training off the coast of Puerto Rica.

Down
1.: Pin cushion?: MAT
A wrestler might pin his or her opponent to the mat.

2.: Some germ cells: OVA
“Germ cells” are the sex cells or reproductive cells. In the case of humans, these are the ova and sperm cells.

5.: Cow in Borden ads: ELSIE
Elsie the Cow is the mascot of the Borden Company. Elsie first appeared at the New York World’s Fair in 1939, introduced to symbolize the perfect dairy product. Elsie was also given a husband named Elmer the Bull. Elmer eventually moved over to the chemical division of Borden where he gave his name to Elmer’s Glue.

6.: ___ broche (cooked on a skewer): A LA
The French for “spit-roasted, on a skewer” is “à la broche”.

7.: “Rico Suave” rapper: GERARDO
Gerardo is a Latino rapper who was born in Ecuador by was raised in Glendale, California. Gerardo sometimes refers to himself as the Latin Frank Sinatra. Maybe that’s why he wears skintight jeans and no shirt when performing …

9.: “Angel dust”: PCP
Phencyclidine is a recreational drug usually referred to on the street as PCP or “angel dust”.

10.: U.K. locale: EUR
The terms “United Kingdom”, “Great Britain” and “England” can sometimes be confused. The official use of “United Kingdom” originated in 1707 with the Acts of Union that declared the countries of England and Scotland as “United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain”. The name changed again with the Acts of Union 1800 that created the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland” (much to the chagrin of most of the Irish population). This was partially reversed in 1927 when the current name was introduced, the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, in recognition of an independent Irish Free State in the south of the island of Ireland. There was much speculation about the future of the UK’s “name” as the referendum on the independence of Scotland loomed in 2014. That discussion died out when the Scots voted to remain part of the UK.

12.: Autumnal quaff: CIDER
“Quaff” is both a verb and a noun. One quaffs (takes a hearty drink) of a quaff (a hearty drink).

18.: Friskies eater: PET CAT
The Friskies brand is known today as a cat food, although it started out as a dry dog food in 1930.

24.: “Johnny B. ___”: GOODE
“Johnny B. Goode” is a rock and roll number that was made famous by Chuck Berry in the late fifties. “Johnny B. Goode” even made it into outer space as it was chosen as one of four American songs that were included on the Voyager Golden Record, which was attached to the Voyager spacecraft that left our solar system in 2012.

26.: “Planet of the Apes” planet [spoiler alert!]: EARTH
The whole “Planet of the Apes” franchise was based on a French novel by Pierre Boulle called “La Planète des singes”. The book was published in English as “Monkey Planet” but was republished as “Planet of the Apes” when Hollywood had made its choice for a title.

29.: Cambodia’s Lon ___: NOL
Lon Nol was a soldier and politician in Cambodia, later serving twice as the country’s president. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, Nol escaped the country to Indonesia. He eventually found a home in Fullerton, California, where he died in 1985.

35.: Tune for nine: NONET
A nonet is a piece of music requiring nine musicians for a performance.

46.: Partner of Dreyer: EDY
Dreyers’ ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyers in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dryer and Joseph Edy.

51.: Item in an env.: LTR
One places a letter (ltr.) in an envelope (env.).

54.: Pavarotti or Caruso: TENOR
Luciano Pavarotti has to have been one of the most celebrated tenors of all time. He was able to appeal to audiences beyond the traditional fans of opera, helped by his performances “The Three Tenors”, Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. Pavarotti made his final performance on stage at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, where he sang his famous rendition of the moving aria “Nessun dorma” and brought the house down. Pavarotti passed away from pancreatic cancer the following year, at the age of 71.

Enrico Caruso was an Italian tenor from Naples, famous as one of the first opera singers to embrace the phonograph technology of the early 1900s. He made 290 recordings that were released between 1902 and 1920, and today they’re all available on CD or as digital downloads.

57.: Rapunzel’s prison: TOWER
“Rapunzel” is a fairy tale in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. Rapunzel was a maiden who was locked in a tower by an enchantress. The inevitable prince turns up, and he climbs up to Rapunzel using her long, fair hair as a climbing rope.

58.: “Me ___ Patricio” (“I am called Patrick”): LLAMO
In Spanish, my name is Patrick (me llamo Patricio).

59.: Cowboy’s home, familiarly: BIG D
“Big D” is a nickname for the city of Dallas, Texas.

The Dallas Cowboys play in the National Football Conference of the NFL. The Cowboys are famous for a lengthy streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons, from 1966 to 1985. They are the highest-valued sports franchise in the country. The only team in the world that’s worth more money is the UK’s Manchester United soccer team.

64.: London-based record company: EMI
EMI was a British music company, with the initials originally standing for Electric and Musical Industries.

65.: Word before Sox or Wings: RED
The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams and so command a large attendance, but only when on the road. The relatively small capacity of Boston’s Fenway Park, the team’s home since 1912, has dictated that every game the Red Sox has played there has been a sell-out since May of 2003.

The Detroit Red Wings play in the National Hockey League. The Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other US-based NHL team.

67.: Cell stuff: RNA
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is an essential catalyst in the manufacture of proteins in the body. The genetic code in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids that make up each protein. That sequence is read in DNA by messenger RNA, and amino acids are delivered for protein manufacture in the correct sequence by what is called transfer RNA. The amino acids are then formed into proteins by ribosomal RNA.

69.: “___ tu” (Verdi aria): ERI
The aria “Eri tu” is from Verdi’s opera “Un ballo in maschera” (A Masked Ball). The opera tells the story of the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden during a masked ball.

70.: Manhattan part: RYE
The cocktail called a Manhattan is made from rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I make my own version of a Brandy Manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1.: Computer purchase: MOOSE (changes to MOUSE)
6.: “Much ___ About Nothing”: AGO (changes to ADO)
9.: Rooster’s roost: PEACH (changes to PERCH)
14.: Canadian pop singer Lavigne: AVAIL (changes to AVRIL)
15.: Hawaii’s Mauna ___: LEA (changes to LOA)
16.: Pretty person: CURIE (changes to CUTIE)
17.: Dismantle: TAKES PART (changes to TAKE APART)
19.: Goody two-shoes: PRIDE (changes to PRUDE)
20.: Hum follower: VIE (changes to VEE)
21.: Stomach muscles: AHS (changes to ABS)
23.: Brazilian baker?: SEL (changes to SOL)
24.: Further to the right on a number line: GREETER (changes to GREATER)
27.: Yellow-centered bloomer: ASNER (changes to ASTER)
30.: Archaic “Curses!”: FOE (changes to FIE!)
31.: Fish oil source: CAD (changes to COD)
32.: Sticky stuff: GLO (changes to GOO)
33.: Reading material, for short: LOT (changes to LIT)
34.: It can be saved or cured: BARON (changes to BACON)
36.: Leader of the pack?: ALOHA (changes to ALPHA)
40.: Simon & Garfunkel’s “I ___ Rock”: ADA (changes to AM A)
41.: False show: ATT (changes to ACT)
42.: Gives a thumbs-up: OSS (changes to OKS)
44.: Repair: FOX (changes to FIX)
45.: Under attack: BEGET (changes to BESET)
47.: Starsky’s partner: HUNCH (changes to HUTCH)
49.: President between James and Andrew, briefly: AVE (changes to ABE)
50.: First state: Abbr.: DHL (changes to DEL)
52.: Excellent drivers often break it: PER (changes to PAR)
53.: Supernatural being: GED (changes to GOD)
54.: Rely on: TRYST (changes to TRUST)
56.: Piece of office equipment: STATLER (changes to STAPLER)
59.: “Adios!”: BEE (changes to BYE!)
60.: Tier: RAW (changes to ROW)
62.: “___ Joey” (Sinatra film): POL (changes to PAL)
63.: Deduce logically: INTER (changes to INFER)
66.: Sideshow performer: FIREWATER (changes to FIRE EATER)
71.: “I have no idea!”: GORME (changes to GOT ME!)
72.: Slew: TNN (changes to TON)
73.: Georgia campus: EMERY (changes to EMORY)
74.: Priest of ancient Gaul: DROID (changes to DRUID)
75.: Exclamation of discovery: AGA (changes to AHA!)
76.: Perez of film: ROXIE (changes to ROSIE)

Down
1.: Pin cushion?: MAT
2.: Some germ cells: OVA
3.: Sturdy tree in the beech family: OAK
4.: Filter in the kitchen: SIEVE
5.: Cow in Borden ads: ELSIE
6.: ___ broche (cooked on a skewer): A LA
7.: “Rico Suave” rapper: GERARDO
8.: Swear words?: OATH
9.: “Angel dust”: PCP
10.: U.K. locale: EUR
11.: Spring (from): ARISE
12.: Autumnal quaff: CIDER
13.: Command to a canine: HEEL!
18.: Friskies eater: PET CAT
22.: Moderate decline in prices: SAG
24.: “Johnny B. ___”: GOODE
25.: Label anew: RETAG
26.: “Planet of the Apes” planet [spoiler alert!]: EARTH
28.: /: SLASH
29.: Cambodia’s Lon ___: NOL
30.: Exerciser’s enemy: FLAB
34.: They may be drawn before bedtime: BATHS
35.: Tune for nine: NONET
37.: Sufficiently old: OF AGE
38.: Float like a helicopter: HOVER
39.: Brought down, as a tree: AXED
43.: Abrasion: SCRAPE
46.: Partner of Dreyer: EDY
48.: Improvement: UPSWING
51.: Item in an env.: LTR
54.: Pavarotti or Caruso: TENOR
55.: Evoking the past: RETRO
57.: Rapunzel’s prison: TOWER
58.: “Me ___ Patricio” (“I am called Patrick”): LLAMO
59.: Cowboy’s home, familiarly: BIG D
61.: Old Spice alternative: AFTA
64.: London-based record company: EMI
65.: Word before Sox or Wings: RED
67.: Cell stuff: RNA
68.: ___-Mex: TEX
69.: “___ tu” (Verdi aria): ERI
70.: Manhattan part: RYE

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