0925-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 25 Sep 14, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Alex Vratsanos
THEME: Ten Little Body Parts … there is a note accompanying today’s puzzle:

The human body is said to have 10 three-letter body parts. All 10 of these are hidden inside Across answers in this puzzle. Can you find them all?

1A. Oscar-winning Hanks role GUMP
9A. Oklahoma tribe OTOES
17A. Golden girl? SACAJAWEA
25A. Protein generators RIBOSOMES
35A. Rampaging ON A TEAR
37A. Yerevan is its capital ARMENIA
48A. Enterprise, for one SPACESHIP
56A. New Americans of 1898 FILIPINOS
63A. Aware, with “in” KEYED
65A. Gold-medal skater Vasiliev OLEG

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 19m 44s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 2 … SACAJAWEA (Sacajuwea), SOAP (soup!!)

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Oscar-winning Hanks role GUMP
The epic 1994 movie “Forrest Gump” is based on a 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Groom said that he had envisioned John Goodman playing the title role, and not Tom Hanks.

5. Reinstate, in a way STET
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.

9. Oklahoma tribe OTOES
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.

14. About IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

17. Golden girl? SACAJAWEA
Sacagawea was the Shoshone guide who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. She was hired as a guide along with her husband, a French-Canadian trapper called Toussaint Charbonneau. When the expedition set out, Sacagawea was pregnant and had her child on the journey, in early 1805. Three years after the journey ended, Charbonneau and his family settled in St. Louis, Missouri where Sacagawea died in 1812. Sacagawea’s image is found on a US dollar coin that was first minted in 2000. The coin has a copper core clad with manganese brass, so it has a golden color.

19. Polite word in Palermo PREGO
“Prego” literally means “I pray” in Italian, but it is usually translated into English as “you’re welcome” when it is used in response to a “thank you” (“grazie”, in Italian).

Palermo is the capital of the Italian autonomous region of Sicily. Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians over 2700 years ago.

20. Czech playwright who coined the word “robot” CAPEK
Karel Čapek was a Czech writer noted for his works of science fiction. Čapek’s 1920 play “R.U.R.” is remembered in part for introducing the world to the word “robot”. The words “automaton” and “android” were already in use, but Capek gave us “robot” from the original Czech “robota” meaning “forced labor”. The acronym “R.U.R.”, in the context of the play, stands for “Rossum’s Universal Robots”.

25. Protein generators RIBOSOMES
The two most common nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), both of which play crucial roles in genetics. The DNA contains the genetic instructions used to keep living organisms functioning, and RNA is used to transcribe that information from the DNA to protein “generators” called ribosomes.

27. Series of watering troughs? AEIOU
The vowels A, E, I, O and U appear in alphabetical order in the phrase “watering troughs”.

28. Usurper SEIZER
“To usurp” is to seize and hold by force, say the power or authority of a ruler. The term “usurp” comes to us from Latin via French, from “usus” (a use) and “rapere” (to seize).

29. Big guns MOGULS
A “mogul” is a person with power. The term comes from the Mughal emperors of India and South Asia.

31. Delta hub, briefly LGA
Fiorello La Guardia was the Mayor of New York from 1934 to 1945, racking up three full terms in office. The famous airport that bears La Guardia’s name was built at his urging, stemming from an incident that took place while he was in office. He was taking a TWA flight to “New York” and was outraged when the plane landed at Newark Airport, in the state of New Jersey. The Mayor demanded that the flight take off again and land at a small airport in Brooklyn. A gaggle of press reporters joined him on the short hop and he gave them a story, urging New Yorkers to support the construction of a new commercial airport within the city’s limits. The new airport, in Queens, opened in 1939 as New York Municipal, often called “LaGuardia” as a nickname. The airport was officially relabeled as “LaGuardia” in 1947.

Delta was the world’s largest airline for a while (after merging with Northwest Airlines in 2008) and is also the oldest airline still operating in the US. Delta’s roots go back to 1924 before it started carrying passengers and was called Huff Daland Dusters, a crop dusting company based in Macon, Georgia. The name Delta Air Service was introduced in 1928.

37. Yerevan is its capital ARMENIA
Yerevan is a the capital of Armenia, and the nation’s largest city. Yerevan was founded in 782 BC with the building of the fortress of Erebuni. That makes it one of oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world.

40. 37-Across was the smallest one: Abbr. SSR
Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR)

41. Nickname DUB
Kneel, and the Queen might “dub thee a knight” if you’re lucky. “Dub” is a specific term derived from Old English that was used to mean “make a knight”. As the knight was also given a knightly name at the same time, “dub” has come to mean “give someone a name”.

47. TV character who says “Captain, you almost make me believe in luck” SPOCK
Leonard Nimoy played the logical Mr. Spock in the original “Star Trek” television series. Spock has to be the most popular character on the show, and he keeps popping up in “Star Trek” spin offs to this day. Nimoy first worked alongside William Shatner (Captain Kirk) in an episode of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (I loved that show!), with Nimoy playing a bad guy and Shatner playing an U.N.C.L.E. recruit.

48. Enterprise, for one SPACESHIP
The Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first shuttle to be built, although it was designed as a test vehicle and did not have engines or a heat shield and so never made it into space. It did fly however as it was carried on the 747 carrier aircraft and performed approach and landing tests. The planned name for the first shuttle was Constitution, but that was changed to Enterprise after a write-in campaign by fans of the “Star Trek” television show (which featured the Starship Enterprise).

52. Soft rock TALCUM
Talc (also “talcum”) is a mineral, actually hydrated magnesium silicate. Talcum powder is composed of loose talc, although these days “baby powder” can also be cornstarch.

53. God on whose name Iago swears JANUS
Janus is a Roman god, usually depicted with two heads, one looking to the past and the other to the future. As such, as a god Janus is often associated with time. Also, the Romans named the month of Ianuarius (our “January”) after Janus.

Iago is a character in William Shakespeare’s play “Othello”. Iago invokes the name of Janus at one point in “Othello”, and indeed Iago’s two-faced character reminds us of Janus, a god with two heads.

55. Setting for van Gogh’s “The Yellow House” ARLES
A few years ago I had the privilege of living just a short car-ride from the beautiful city of Arles in the South of France. Although Arles has a long and colorful history, the Romans had a prevailing influence over the city’s design. Arles has a spectacular Roman amphitheater, arch, circus as well as old walls that surround the center of the city. In more modern times, it was a place Vincent van Gogh often visited, and where he painted his famous “Cafe Terrace at Night”, as well as “Bedroom in Arles”.

“The Yellow House” is an 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh. The subject is the house in Arles in which van Gogh rented four rooms.

56. New Americans of 1898 FILIPINOS
The Philippines was claimed for Spain by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan when he discovered the islands in 1521. The Philippines remained in Spanish hands until the Spanish-American War of 1898 reached the Philippines. The Philippine revolutionary leader, took advantage of the War and declared independence, but when the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the conflict, the US “bought” the Philippines for $20 million. Understandably, the Philippine rebels didn’t like this idea, starting the Philippine-American War which ended with the US forcibly taking control and ruling until the Japanese invasion in WWII.

60. Walter ___ Theater (part of Lincoln Center) READE
The Walter Reade Theater in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a 268-movie theater. The Walter Reade is used by the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

61. Like some punished 1-Down ON KP
KP is a US military slang term, and stands for either “kitchen police” or “kitchen patrol”. KP duty is work under kitchen staff that is assigned to junior enlisted personnel.

62. Lifeguard’s concern TIDE
Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

64. They’re big on Wall Street EGOS
New York’s famous “Wall Street” was originally named by the Dutch as “de Waal Straat”.

65. Gold-medal skater Vasiliev OLEG
Oleg Vasiliev is a former Soviet figure skater who partnered with Elena Valova and competed in the pairs event. Vasiliev and Valova won the gold medal in the 1984 Winter Olympics. After retiring from competition, Vasiliev coached the Russian pair Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, who won the gold medal in the 2006 Olympics.

Down
1. Ones on base? GIS
The initials “G.I.” stand for “Government Issue” and not “General Infantry” as is often believed. GI was first used in the military to denote equipment made from Galvanized Iron and during WWI, incoming German shells were nicknamed “GI cans”. Soon after, the term GI came to be associated with “Government Issue” and eventually became an adjective to describe anything associated with the Army.

2. Argentine article UNA
Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil), and geographically is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. The name “Argentina” comes from the Latin “argentum”, the word for “silver”. It is thought that the name was given by the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who also named the Rio de la Plata (the “Silver River”). Those early explorers got hold of lots of silver objects that they found among the native population.

3. Howard Cunningham, informally MR C
Tom Bosley is an actor best remembered for playing Howard Cunningham (referred to as “Mr. C” by the Fonz) on the sitcom “Happy Days”. Bosley also played the title role in the mystery series called “Father Dowling Mysteries”, which aired from 1989 to 1991.

4. “Later, bro!” PEACE OUT!
“Peace out” is a slang phrase meaning “goodbye”. The term “peace” became a greeting in the sixties. Apparently the use of “out” is borrowed from the practice of finishing a radio conversation with “over and out”.

5. Dish contents SOAP
Soap is basically made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds.

8. Hot spot? TEA
Would anyone like “a spot of tea”? … as someone might say in Britain.

12. Figure on Mexico’s flag EAGLE
The Mexican flag consists of three vertical stripes, of green white and red. The national coat of arms is displayed in the center of the white stripe.

13. Tart fruit SLOES
The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush.

18. Rapper who co-starred in 2002’s “Half Past Dead” JA RULE
Ja Rule is the stage name of rapper Jeffrey Atkins. Apparently Ja Rule is noted not only for his music, but for his “feuds” with the likes of 50 Cent and Eminem.

21. According to legend, at age 2 he identified a pig’s squeal as G sharp MOZART
The composer Mozart’s full name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The name “Wolfgang” translates literally as “wolf journey”. Amadeus translates as “love god”!

22. “Parenthood” actress Sarah RAMOS
The actress Sarah Ramos is best known for playing Patty Pryor on television’s “American Dreams”, and Haddie Braverman on the show “Parenthood”. I haven’t seen either …

23. Millions of millennia AEONS
Aeon is a variant spelling of “eon”. In astronomical terms, an aeon is defined as one thousand million years.

26. Nickname for Angel Stadium, with “the” BIG A
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is sometimes called the Big A. The Big A opened for business in 1966, making it the fourth oldest stadium in the major leagues, after Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium.

30. “Fifty Shades of Grey” topic SADISM
A sadist is someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain, with that pleasure often being sexual in nature. The term “sadist” comes from the Marquis de Sade who was known to exhibit such tendencies.

The Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat with a reputation for a libertine lifestyle. De Sade was also a writer, well known for his works of erotica. He fell foul of the law for some of his more extreme practices and for blaspheming the Catholic church. On an off, de Sade spent 32 years of his life in prison and in insane asylums.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is an incredibly popular erotic novel by British writer E. L. James. “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the fastest-selling paperback of all time. And there are two other titles to complete the trilogy: “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed”.

32. Russian composer Arensky ANTON
Anton Arensky was a Russian composer and pianist who was active in the Romantic period.

33. King or queen PIECE
It is believed that the game of chess originated in northwest India, evolving from a 6th-century game called “chaturanga”, a Sanskrit word meaning “four divisions”. These four (military) divisions were represented in the game:

– Infantry (now “pawns”)
– Cavalry (now “knights”)
– Elephants (now “bishops”)
– Chariots (now “rooks”)

38. Mixed media? MASH-UP
“Mash-up” is a slang term, describing perhaps a television show that is a mixture of content from different programs.

39. First N.H.L. player to score 100 points in a season ESPOSITO
Phil “Espo” Esposito is a former professional hockey player from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario who played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

42. Literally, “northern capital” BEIJING
The city of Beijing was given its name in 1403, with “Beijing” chosen as it translates as “Northern Capital”. The name distinguished it from the city of Nanjing, which name translates as “Southern Capital”.

46. Villain in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” SPALKO
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is the fourth film in the “Indiana Jones” series, and one that was made nineteen years after the third move in the franchise. Harrison Jones appears as a somewhat older Indian Jones, and Cate Blanchett plays Soviet agent Irina Spalko, the villain of the piece.

49. Gay ___ PAREE
“Who Said Gay Paree?” is a song from the Cole Porter musical “Can-Can”.

54. Cheese ___ (Nabisco product) NIPS
Cheese Nips are small crackers made by Kraft under the Nabisco brand name. Cheese Nips have been around since 1955 and you can even buy them in the shape of Spongebob Squarepants (just in case you’re into that kind of thing).

56. Mothra or MUTO, to Godzilla FOE
Godzilla is a Japanese invention. The first in a very long series of films was released way back in 1954. The original name in Japanese was “Gojira”, but this was changed to Godzilla for audiences outside of Japan. “Gojira” is a combination of “gorira” and “kujira”, the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, apt because Godzilla is a big ape-like creature that came out of the deep.

Mothra is a giant moth-like monster that made its big-screen debut in the 1961 film “Mothra”. Mothra turns up quite often in “Godzilla” movies.

M.U.T.O. is a species of monsters that appear as enemies of Godzilla in the series of Japanese stories and films. The acronym stands for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism.

58. Sapphic work ODE
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet born on the Greek island of Lesbos. Sappho was much admired for her work, although very little of it survives today. She was renowned for writing erotic and romantic verse that dealt with the love of women as well as men. It was because of this poetry that the word “lesbian” (someone from Lesbos) is used to describe a gay woman.

59. Line div. SEG
A division (div.) of a line might be called a segment (seg.).

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Oscar-winning Hanks role GUMP
5. Reinstate, in a way STET
9. Oklahoma tribe OTOES
14. About IN RE
15. Exude OOZE
16. Corrective PENAL
17. Golden girl? SACAJAWEA
19. Polite word in Palermo PREGO
20. Czech playwright who coined the word “robot” CAPEK
21. It may be raised in a company’s new building MORALE
22. Jockey, e.g. RACER
25. Protein generators RIBOSOMES
27. Series of watering troughs? AEIOU
28. Usurper SEIZER
29. Big guns MOGULS
31. Delta hub, briefly LGA
32. Many a modern game APP
35. Rampaging ON A TEAR
37. Yerevan is its capital ARMENIA
40. 37-Across was the smallest one: Abbr. SSR
41. Nickname DUB
43. Wine judge, e.g. TASTER
44. Comes to light ARISES
47. TV character who says “Captain, you almost make me believe in luck” SPOCK
48. Enterprise, for one SPACESHIP
51. Perfects HONES
52. Soft rock TALCUM
53. God on whose name Iago swears JANUS
55. Setting for van Gogh’s “The Yellow House” ARLES
56. New Americans of 1898 FILIPINOS
60. Walter ___ Theater (part of Lincoln Center) READE
61. Like some punished 1-Down ON KP
62. Lifeguard’s concern TIDE
63. Aware, with “in” KEYED
64. They’re big on Wall Street EGOS
65. Gold-medal skater Vasiliev OLEG

Down
1. Ones on base? GIS
2. Argentine article UNA
3. Howard Cunningham, informally MR C
4. “Later, bro!” PEACE OUT!
5. Dish contents SOAP
6. Air traffic control sites TOWERS
7. Book that describes the destruction of Gog and Magog EZEKIEL
8. Hot spot? TEA
9. Counter OPPOSE
10. Imp TERROR
11. Time to retire, maybe ONE AM
12. Figure on Mexico’s flag EAGLE
13. Tart fruit SLOES
18. Rapper who co-starred in 2002’s “Half Past Dead” JA RULE
21. According to legend, at age 2 he identified a pig’s squeal as G sharp MOZART
22. “Parenthood” actress Sarah RAMOS
23. Millions of millennia AEONS
24. Thick smoke CIGAR
26. Nickname for Angel Stadium, with “the” BIG A
30. “Fifty Shades of Grey” topic SADISM
32. Russian composer Arensky ANTON
33. King or queen PIECE
34. City department purview PARKS
36. Overnight, maybe RUSH
38. Mixed media? MASH-UP
39. First N.H.L. player to score 100 points in a season ESPOSITO
42. Literally, “northern capital” BEIJING
44. Acquiesce ACCEDE
45. Not thrown away, say REUSED
46. Villain in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” SPALKO
48. Bare STARK
49. Gay ___ PAREE
50. Assuage ALLAY
54. Cheese ___ (Nabisco product) NIPS
56. Mothra or MUTO, to Godzilla FOE
57. Zip NIL
58. Sapphic work ODE
59. Line div. SEG

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