1002-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 2 Oct 14, Thursday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Nasty stuff SMUT
“Smut” means “dirt, smudge” and more recently “pornographic material”. The term comes from the Yiddish “schmutz”, which is a slang word used in English for dirt, as in “dirt on one’s face”.

9. TV’s “___ Bridges” NASH
“Nash Bridges” is a police drama that ran for six seasons, mainly in the late nineties. The star of the show, playing the title role, was Don Johnson, who had achieved fame as Sonny Crockett in the eighties show “Miami Vice”. “Nash Bridges” is set and filmed near here, in San Francisco. Cheech Marin (of Cheech & Chong fame) played a prominent supporting role in the show.

14. Member of an old empire INCA
The Inca Empire was known as the Tawantinsuyu, which translates as “land of the four quarters”. The Inca Empire was a federal organization having a central government that sat above four “suyu” or “quarters”, four administrative regions.

17. Hilo do LUAU
Nowadays the word “luau” denotes almost any kind of party on the Hawaiian Islands, but to the purist a luau is a feast that always includes a serving of “poi”, the bulbous underground stems of taro baked with coconut milk.

Hilo is the largest settlement on the big island of Hawai’i, with a population of over 43,000 (that’s not very many!). I love the Big Island …

18. 2003 summit participant with Sharon and Bush ABBAS
Mahmoud Abbas took over as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2004 after the death of Yasser Arafat. Abbas is also the President of the Palestinian National Authority, equivalent to “head of state”.

President George W. Bush participated in a summit meeting in 2003 with Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting was held in Aqaba, Jordan and was hosted by King Abdullah II of Jordan.

19. 20th-century figure with a famous 56-Across represented literally six times in this puzzle EINSTEIN
In Albert Einstein’s famous equation E=mc², “E” stands for energy, “m” stands for mass, and “c” stands for the speed of light.

21. NBC parent beginning in 2011 COMCAST
Comcast is the largest cable company in the United States. Comcast was founded in 1963 as American Cable systems.

22. “Te ___” AMO
In Spanish, one might say “I love you” (te amo) with flowers (con flores).

23. One of the grains in Nutri-Grain OAT
The Nutri-Grain brand of breakfast foods is made by Kellogg. The brand was actually first introduced in Australia in 1981.

31. Nickname for Fogell in “Superbad” MCLOVIN
“Superbad” is a comedy movie released in 2007. The script for the film was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Rogen and Goldberg started work on the script when they were just thirteen years old, with the first draft being completed by the time they were fifteen.

33. He’s asked to “please shine down on me,” in song MR SUN
“Mister Sun” is a children’s song:

Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun
Please shine down on me
Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun
Hiding behind the tree
Oh these little children are asking you
To please come out so they can play with you
Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me!

34. It can be cast in a tragedy PALL
A pall is a cloth used to cover a casket at a funeral. Pallbearers actually carry the coffin, covered by the pall. The phrase “casting a pall over”, meaning to create a dark mood, is metaphorical use of the pall over the casket.

39. “___ it ironic?” (1996 song lyric) ISN’T
“Ironic” is a 1996 song recorded by Alanis Morissette. Each verse describes a different ironic situation, and each verse ends with the refrain “Isn’t it ironic?”

40. Near the hip ILIAC
The sacrum and the two ilia are three bones in the human pelvis.

42. Woodstock producer SCHULZ
Woodstock is Snoopy’s best friend in the Charles Schulz comic strip “Peanuts”. Woodstock is a little yellow bird, and takes his name from the Woodstock rock festival. The naming is a reference to the festival’s iconic publicity poster that features a dove of peace sitting on the neck of a guitar.

44. “Parallel Lives” writer PLUTARCH
Plutarch was a Greek historian who became a Roman citizen. Plutarch’s most famous work is probably “Parallel Lives”, a series of paired biographies, with each pair comparing the lives of one Greek and one Roman.

52. ___ mai (Asian dumplings) SHU
Shumai (also “siu mai”) 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”.

59. Admitting a slight draft, maybe AJAR
Our word “ajar” is thought to come from Scottish dialect, in which “a char” means “slightly open”.

61. Like many shut-ins PASTY
A “shut-in” is a sick person who is refined to home, or perhaps to a hospital bed.

63. Soup thickener AGAR
Agar (also “agar-agar”) is a jelly extracted from seaweed that has many uses. Agar is found in Japanese desserts, and can also be used as a food thickener or even as a laxative. In the world of science it is the most common medium used for growing bacteria in Petri dishes.

66. Rock’s ___ Music ROXY
Roxy Music is a British band formed by Bryan Ferry, who also served as the lead singer. One of the group’s more famous former band members was Brian Eno, someone who turns up in crosswords far too often …

Down
5. Most important movies FILM CANON
The fundamental body of work of a field of study or art is called its “canon”.

6. Ice man? INUIT
The Inuit peoples live in the Arctic, in parts of the US, Russia, Greenland and Canada.

8. 19th of 24 TAU
Tau is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, the letter which gave rise to our Roman “T”. Both the letters tau (T) and chi (X) have long been symbolically associated with the cross.

9. Recognition received by 19-Across NOBEL PRIZE
Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his contributions to the science physics, and in particular for his discovery of the photoelectric effect.

10. Co-star of 2005’s “Fantastic Four” ALBA
Actress Jessica Alba got her big break when she was cast in the Fox science fiction show “Dark Angel”. Alba had a tough life growing up as she spent a lot of time in hospital and so found it difficult to develop friendships. As a youngster she twice had a collapsed lung, frequently caught pneumonia, suffered from asthma, had a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst. On top of all that she acknowledges that she suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child. It seems that she has really turned her life around …

“Fantastic Four” is a 2005 movie about the band of comic heroes made famous in Marvel Comics. The Fantastic Four are:

– Mr. Fantastic (played by Ioan Gruffudd)
– The Invisible Woman (played by Jessica Alba)
– The Human Torch (played by Chris Evans)
– Thing (played by Michael Chiklis)

11. Boarding spots: Abbr. STAS
Station (sta.)

15. Little Red Book ideology MAOISM
During China’s Cultural Revolution, the Communist Party published a book of statements and writings from Chairman Mao Zedong. Here in the West the publication was usually referred to as “The Little Red Book”.

20. Drive (along) TOOL
The phrase “tooling along”, meaning “driving a vehicle”, dates back to the early 1800s. The expression probably arose from the sense of managing skillfully, either a vehicle or a tool.

21. Gloucester haul COD
Gloucester, Massachusetts is a city on Cape Ann. Gloucester is a fishing port and a popular spot for tourists.

26. Subject explored by 19-Across RELATIVITY
After Albert Einstein moved to the US in 1933, he became quite a celebrity and his face was readily recognizable. Einstein was frequently stopped in the street by people who would naively ask him if he could explain what “that theory” (i.e. the theory of relativity) was all about. Growing tired of this, he finally learned to tell people that he was sorry, but folks were constantly mistaking him for Albert Einstein!

27. Kind of beer BIRCH
Birch beer is a carbonated soft drink with a flavor that is similar to root beer. The tradition of making birch beer dates back to colonial times. A key ingredient is birch sap, hence the name.

28. Old spy org. OSS
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed during WWII in order to carry out espionage behind enemy lines. A few years after the end of the war the OSS functions were taken up by a new group, the Central Intelligence Agency that was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947.

30. Cable channel that revived “Dallas” in 2012 TNT
The TV soap “Dallas” revolved around the Ewings family. The series that ran for 13 years was originally intended as a five-part mini-series, with the main characters being newlyweds Bobby and Pam Ewing. But, the devious character in the piece, Bobby’s brother J. R., became so popular with audiences that the series as extended with J. R. at the center of the story. The original show ran from 1978 to 1991, and a revival was made starting in 2012. The new version of “Dallas” included some of the old characters, such as Bobby and Pam Ewing, as well as J.R. Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing, passed away at the end of 2012.

32. Explorer ___ da Gama VASCO
Vasco da Gama left on his first voyage of discovery in 1497. da Gama journeyed around the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost tip of Africa, and across the Indian Ocean making landfall in India. Landing in India, his fleet became the first expedition to sail directly from Europe to the sub-continent. Vasco da Gama was well known for acts of cruelty, especially on local inhabitants. One of his milder atrocities was inflicted on a priest whom he labelled as a spy. He had the priest’s lips and ears cut off, and sent him on his way after having a pair of dog’s ears sewn onto his head.

34. One of hearts? PIP
A pip is a dot on a die or a domino, or a mark on a playing card.

36. Actress whose last name is a New York school’s inits. LIU
Lucy Liu is an actress from Queens, New York. Liu’s big break came when she was chosen to play the Ling Woo character in “Ally McBeal”. I liked her in the 2000 film “Charlie’s Angels” but as I am no fan of Quentin Tarantino, I did not enjoy the movie “Kill Bill”. I am having fun watching one of Liu’s more recent projects, in which she plays one of the two leads in the TV crime drama “Elementary”.

Long Island University (LIU) is a private school that was chartered in 1926, with its first campus in Brooklyn. LIU’s focus has always been on providing moderately-priced, effective education to people from all walks in life. To that end, LIU opened a second campus in 1951 in Brookville in the suburbs of New York City, recognizing the need to serve families who were living outside of the metropolis.

38. Tirade, e.g. OUTBURST
A “tirade” is a long and vehement speech, and is a word that came into English from French. “Tirade” can have the same meaning in French, but is also the word for “volley”. So, a tirade is a “volley of words”.

43. “Livin’ la Vida ___” LOCA
“Livin’ La Vida Loca” is a 1999 single recorded by Ricky Martin, the title of which translates as “living the crazy life”.

45. QB protectors RTS
In American football, linemen specialize in playing in the line of scrimmage. RT stands for Right Tackle. That’s about all I know, and even that I am unsure about …

47. Italian cheese ASIAGO
Asiago is a crumbly cheese, named after the region in northeastern Italy from where it originates.

48. Chest THORAX
The thorax is another name for the chest, the part of the human body between the neck and the diaphragm.

51. Jordanian port AQABA
The coastal city of Aqaba is the only seaport in the country of Jordan. The city lies at the very northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which is off the Red Sea.

54. Obsessive, say ANAL
Our use of the word “anal” is an abbreviated form of “anal-retentive”, a term derived from Freudian psychology.

55. Org. with lofty goals? NASA
The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite towards the end of 1957, a development that shocked the establishment in the US. Within months, President Eisenhower created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, now DARPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

56. Unfulfilling work MCJOB
“McJob” is a slang term for a low-paying position that offers little chance for advancement. The term of course comes from front-line jobs at a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant.

59. Like A LA
The phrase “in the style of” can be translated as “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Nasty stuff SMUT
5. Symbol of authority FIST
9. TV’s “___ Bridges” NASH
13. Lush WINO
14. Member of an old empire INCA
15. “___ bene” (“Very well”: It.) MOLTO
16. Finalizes, as a contract INKS
17. Hilo do LUAU
18. 2003 summit participant with Sharon and Bush ABBAS
19. 20th-century figure with a famous 56-Across represented literally six times in this puzzle EINSTEIN
21. NBC parent beginning in 2011 COMCAST
22. “Te ___” AMO
23. One of the grains in Nutri-Grain OAT
24. Agitate ROIL
25. Backer PATRON
27. Sore loser BAD SPORT
31. Nickname for Fogell in “Superbad” MCLOVIN
33. He’s asked to “please shine down on me,” in song MR SUN
34. It can be cast in a tragedy PALL
37. Stash seeker NARCO
39. “___ it ironic?” (1996 song lyric) ISN’T
40. Near the hip ILIAC
42. Woodstock producer SCHULZ
44. “Parallel Lives” writer PLUTARCH
46. Promiscuous guys TOMCATS
50. Word after back or break INTO
51. ___ book ABC
52. ___ mai (Asian dumplings) SHU
53. Art store buy CANVAS
56. See 19-Across EQUATION
58. Broadcasting ON AIR
59. Admitting a slight draft, maybe AJAR
60. Not squishy HARD
61. Like many shut-ins PASTY
62. They follow arcs LOBS
63. Soup thickener AGAR
64. Crack up SLAY
65. Blind as ___ A BAT
66. Rock’s ___ Music ROXY

Down
1. Top in the pool? SWIM CAP
2. Low points MINIMA
3. Disentangle UNKNOT
4. Eject, as from a game TOSS
5. Most important movies FILM CANON
6. Ice man? INUIT
7. Pore over SCAN
8. 19th of 24 TAU
9. Recognition received by 19-Across NOBEL PRIZE
10. Co-star of 2005’s “Fantastic Four” ALBA
11. Boarding spots: Abbr. STAS
12. Have over, say HOST
15. Little Red Book ideology MAOISM
20. Drive (along) TOOL
21. Gloucester haul COD
24. It has hands and brands RANCH
26. Subject explored by 19-Across RELATIVITY
27. Kind of beer BIRCH
28. Old spy org. OSS
29. String RUN
30. Cable channel that revived “Dallas” in 2012 TNT
32. Explorer ___ da Gama VASCO
34. One of hearts? PIP
35. Comprehensively ALL
36. Actress whose last name is a New York school’s inits. LIU
38. Tirade, e.g. OUTBURST
41. Singer CANARY
43. “Livin’ la Vida ___” LOCA
45. QB protectors RTS
47. Italian cheese ASIAGO
48. Chest THORAX
49. Miscellaneous SUNDRY
51. Jordanian port AQABA
53. Admits (to) COPS
54. Obsessive, say ANAL
55. Org. with lofty goals? NASA
56. Unfulfilling work MCJOB
57. “___ she blows!” THAR
59. Like A LA

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