1005-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 5 Oct 14, Sunday

Note: I solved today’s puzzle online. Due to the “trick” involved in solving, the clue numbers here may not match the numbers in the print version published in your newspaper.

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Cheap shot? BBS
A BB gun is an air pistol or rifle that shoots birdshot known as BBs. Birdshot comes in a number of different sizes, from size 9 (0.080″ in diameter) to size FF (.23″). 0.180″ diameter birdshot is size BB, which gives the airgun its name.

4. Suggestive RISQUE
“Risqué” is a French word, the past participle of the verb “to risk”. So in English we use “risqué” to mean “racy”, but in French it means “risky”.

10. William Henry Harrison’s nickname TIPP (TIPPECANOE)
(13D. TREE PECAN)
(36A. – NOE)
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1811 in the Indiana Territory by US forces and the American Indian confederation. Leader of the victorious US side was then-Governor William Henry Harrison, later to become President of the United States. In fact, one of Harrison’s nicknames became “Tippecanoe” or “Old Tippecanoe”.

19. Fink RAT
A “fink” is an informer, someone who rats out his cohorts.

21. Grimm start? ONCE
The Brothers Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm) were two German academics noted for collecting and publishing folk tales. Among the tales in their marvelous collection are “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella”.

22. Overseas love AMORE
“Amore” is Italian for “love”.

27. Lucy Ricardo’s friend ETHE (ETHEL MERTZ)
(28D. TREE ELM)
(38A. – MERTZ)
In the hit television show “I Love Lucy”, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The Ricardos’ best friends were also their landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. The Mertz’s were played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance.

30. Source of the word “mantra” SANSKRIT
Sanskrit is an Indo-Aryan language and is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. Sanskrit has a rich tradition and is the language in which many historical and religious texts are written. There aren’t many speakers of the language today although efforts are underway to revive spoken Sanskrit.

A “mantra” is a word that is used as a focus for the mind while meditating.

37. U.F.O. occupants ETS
An extraterrestrial (ET) might pilot an unidentified flying object (UFO).

43. Year that “Shrek” and “Zoolander” came out MMI
Before “Shrek” was a successful movie franchise and Broadway musical, it was a children’s picture book called “Shrek!” authored and illustrated by William Steig. The title “Shrek!” came from the German/Yiddish word Schreck, meaning “fear” or “terror”.

“Zoolander” is a 2001 movie starring Ben Stiller, with Ben’s father, Jerry Stiller in a supporting role. Derek Zoolander is a male model, with the name coming from a melding of two real-life make models, Mark Vanderloo and Johnny Zander.

49. Features of Appaloosa coats SPOTS
The Appaloosa is a breed of horse with a characteristic leopard-spotted coat. As of 1975, the Appaloosa is the state horse of Idaho.

56. Monopoly property: Abbr. UTIL
Utility (util.)

Apparently, when Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba he banned the very popular game “Monopoly”, as he viewed it as a symbol of capitalism. In fact, he ordered that every copy of the game on the island be destroyed.

57. Wet depression SWALE
A swale is a narrow tract of low-lying land that is usually wet or marshy. A swale can be naturally occurring or man-made. One might create a swale to help manage drainage of adjacent land.

62. R.V. stop, maybe KOA
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.

63. The First Lady of Song, to fans ELLA
Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”, had a hard and tough upbringing. She was raised by her mother alone in Yonkers, New York. Her mother died while Ella was still a schoolgirl, and around that time the young girl became less interested in her education. She fell in with a bad crowd, even working as a lookout for a bordello and as a Mafia numbers runner. She ended up in reform school, from which she escaped, and found herself homeless and living on the streets for a while. Somehow Fitzgerald managed to get herself a spot singing in the Apollo Theater in Harlem. From there her career took off and as they say, the rest is history.

64. It makes Bruce Banner turn into the Hulk ANGER
The comic book hero called the Hulk first made an appearance in 1962. The Hulk is the alter ego of reserved and withdraw physicist Bruce Banner. Banner mutates into the Hulk when he gets angry.

74. Shortest Old Testament book OBADIAH
The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible, consisting of just one chapter, divided into 21 verses.

77. Queen Amidala’s home in “Star Wars” NABOO
In the “Star Wars” universe, Padmé Amidala is the Queen of the planet Naboo. Played very ably by Natalie Portman, Padmé becomes the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker, later revealed to be Darth Vader. As such, Padmé is also the mother of Luke Skywalker and his sister, Princess Leia Organa.

78. Droids, e.g., for short PDAS
Personal digital assistant (PDA)

The Droid is a smartphone from Motorola that is noted for running Google’s Android operating system.

81. Cab alternative ZIN
Zinfandel is my favorite red wine varietal. It amazes me that the rich and heavy red Zinfandel comes from the same grape as does the sweet White Zinfandel.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc grapes.

87. 2004-13 CBS procedural CSI: NY
The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but seems to be winding down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, is still going strong and has been doing so since 2000.

98. Mud JOE
It seems that no one really knows why we refer to coffee as “joe”, but we’ve been doing so since early in WWII.

100. ___ cheese NACHO
The dish known as “nachos” were supposedly created by the maître d’ at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The maître d’’s name was Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

103. Old roadside advertiser BURMA (BURMA-SHAVE)
(104D. TREE ASH)
(119A. – HAVE)
Burma-Shave was a brand of shaving cream that was big in the 1940s. The brand was used in a very innovative sales campaign involving sets of billboard along highways. There were usually six consecutive small signs posted, signs that motorists read as a group in order to make sense of them.

108. Philosopher Mo-___ TZE
Mozi (also Mo-Tze) was a Chinese philosopher whose positions were often in conflict with Confucianism.

113. “Rebel Without a Cause” actor SAL MINEO
Sal Mineo’s most famous role was John “Plato” Crawford, the kid who was in awe of the James Dean character in “Rebel Without a Cause”. Sadly, Mineo was murdered in 1976 when he was just 37 years old. He was attacked in the alley behind his Los Angeles apartment and stabbed through the heart. When an arrest was made it was discovered that the murderer had no idea that his victim was a celebrity, and that his plan was just to rob anyone who came along.

116. Fine fabric BATISTE
Batiste is an extremely soft and lightweight fabric, made of cotton, wool or polyester.

120. “Middlemarch” author ELIOT
George Eliot was the pen name of English novelist Mary Anne Evans. As one might think, Evans chose a male pen name in order that her work might be best appreciated in the Victorian era. Eliot wrote seven novels including “Adam Bede” (1859), “The Mill on the Floss” (1860), “Silas Marner” (1861) and “Middlemarch” (1871-72).

124. Sweet potato YAM
Although in the US we sometimes refer to sweet potatoes as “yams”, the yam is actually a completely different family of plants. True yams are more common in other parts of the the world than they are in this country, and are especially found in Africa.

129. Units of force DYNES
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.

131. L.P.G.A. star Ochoa LORENA
Lorena Ochoa is a retired professional golfer from Mexico who was ranked as the number one female golfer in the world from 2007 to 2010.

Down
2. Source of the words “mamba” and “chimpanzee” BANTU
There are hundreds of Bantu languages, mainly spoken in central, east and southern Africa. The most commonly spoken Bantu language is Swahili, with Zulu coming in second.

3. Big name in chain saws and leaf blowers STIHL
Stihl is a manufacturer of power tools mainly used in landscaping and forestry. The company headquarters is located not far from Stuttgart in Germany. Stihl was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, and first manufactured chainsaws.

4. Narrow inlet RIA
A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

7. Amethyst or citrine QUARTZ
Quartz is a form of silicon oxide, and is the second most abundant mineral found in the Earth’s crust, after feldspar. The name “quartz” comes into English via German and probably ultimately derives from a Slavic word meaning “hard”.

8. Latin bears URSI
“Ursus” is Latin for “male bear”, and the plural is “ursi”. “Ursa” is Latin for “female bear”, with the plural being “ursae”.

9. Greek war goddess ENYO
Enyo was a Greek goddess of war, a companion to the war god Ares. Enyo was also the sister of Ares, and the daughter of Zeus and Hera.

12. They’ve been banned in the U.S. since ’79 PCBS
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were banned with good reason. Apart from their link to cancer and other disorders in humans and animals, they are extremely persistent in the environment once contamination has occurred. Among other things, PCBs were used as coolants and insulating fluids in electrical gear such as transformers and large capacitors.

14. Gobs PASSELS
A passel is a large group or quantity. “Passel” is a variant of the word “parcel”.

15. One way to run AMOK
The phrase “to run amok” (sometimes “to run amuck”) has been around since the 1670s and is derived from the Malay word for “attacking furiously”, “amuk”. The word “amok” was also used as a noun to describe Malay natives who were “frenzied”. Given Malaya’s troubled history, the natives probably had good reason for that frenzy …

35. Flower that symbolizes paradise on earth TULIP
The tulip was a symbol of paradise in Turkish culture, and a reminder of the brevity of life in the Netherlands.

39. British arm STEN GUN
The STEN gun is an iconic armament that was used by the British military. The name STEN is an acronym. The S and the T comes from the name of the gun’s designers, Shepherd and Turpin. The EN comes from the Enfield brand name, which in turn comes from the Enfield location where the guns were manufactured for the Royal Small Arms Factory, an enterprise owned by the British government.

42. Kwik-E-Mart operator APU
The fictional Kwik-E-Mart store is operated by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on “The Simpsons” TV show. The convenience store owner doesn’t seem to be making much use of his Ph.D in computer science that he earned in the US. Apu’s undergraduate degree is from Caltech (the Calcutta Technical Institute), where he graduated top of his class of seven million students …

43. Goods: Abbr. MDSE
Merchandise (mdse.)

45. Sly nickname? ITALIAN STALLION
In the “Rocky” series of films, Rocky Balboa was given the ring name “The Italian Stallion”. Rocky’s first real opponent was Apollo Creed, known in the ring as “The Master of Disaster” and “The Count of Monte Fisto”.

If ever there was a movie that defines a career breakthrough for an actor, it would have to be “Rocky” for Sylvester Stallone. Stallone was a struggling actor in 1975 when a Muhammad Ali fight inspired Stallone to write a screenplay for a boxing movie, which he did in just three days. His efforts to sell the script went well but for the fact that the interested studios wanted a big name for the lead role, and Stallone was determined to be the star himself. Stallone persevered and “Rocky” was eventually made with him playing title role of Rocky Balboa. The movie won three Oscars, and “Sly” Stallone had arrived …

48. Like months when oysters are not in season R-LESS
There is a traditional warning that one shouldn’t eat shellfish in a month without an R i.e. May through August. That’s because these are the warmer months here in the northern hemisphere when algae blooms can spread toxins that are soaked up by clams, mussels and oysters. Personally, I only eat shellfish in months containing a Q … that would be never …

50. Bad-mouth, in Britain SLAG
To “slag off” is a pretty rude slang term meaning to verbally attack someone. In Ireland we use the term “slagging” in a much more friendly and jocular way, where it’s more like teasing. The kind of things that brothers do to each other when they get together, and don’t I know it …

52. African antelope ELAND
An eland is a large African antelope, in fact the largest on the continent.

55. Brit. award DSO
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a British military award that is usually presented to officers with the rank of Major or higher.

67. Old “Gotta have it” sloganeer PEPSI
“Gotta Have It” was a slogan used by Pepsi Cola from 1991 to 1992.

70. The New Yorker cartoonist Roz CHAST
Roz Chast had her first cartoon published in “The New Yorker” in 1978, and has had more than 800 published since then.

72. Tennille of tunes TONI
The seventies singing duo known as Captain & Tennille was made up of husband and wife Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille. Early in 2014, Tennille filed for divorce from Dragon after 39 years of marriage. Sad to see that …

74. L. Frank Baum princess OZMA
L. Frank Baum wrote a whole series of books about the Land of Oz, and Princess Ozma appears in all of them except the one that’s most famous, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.

76. Rock blaster AMP
An electric guitar, for example, needs an amplifier (amp) to take the weak signal created by the vibration of the strings and turn it into a signal powerful enough for a loudspeaker.

79. Haloed one: Fr. ANGE
In French, a halo (auréole) might be seen around the head of an angel (ange).

80. Part of CBS: Abbr. SYST
CBS used to be called the Columbia Broadcasting System. CBS is the second largest broadcaster in the world, second only to the BBC in the UK.

89. Org. for Bulldogs, Gators and Tigers SEC
Southeast Conference (SEC)

93. Leif Ericson, e.g. NORSEMAN
Leif Eiriksson was a Norse explorer and was the first European to land in North America, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus’s landing in 1492. Eiriksson built a small settlement called Leifsbudir, which archaeologists believe they have found in modern day Newfoundland, at L’Anse aux Meadows. The settlement discovered in Newfoundland is definitely Norse, but there is some dispute over whether it is actually Eiriksson’s Leifsbudir.

95. Some Muslims SHIITES
The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family.

101. Every, in Rx’s OMN
“Omni” is Latin for “all”, or “every” in the context of a medical prescription. On a prescription, “omni” is usually abbreviated to “omn”.

There seems to some uncertainty about the origin of the symbol “Rx” that’s used for a medical prescription. One explanation is that it comes from the astrological sign for Jupiter, a symbol put on prescriptions in days of old to invoke Jupiter’s blessing to help a patient recover.

117. Jerk, slangily TOOL
“Tool” is one of those slang terms that I dislike immensely, even though it has been used since the 1600s. “Tool” is used to describe a socially inept person and is a reference to the male reproductive organ.

122. Article of Cologne EIN
“Ein” is an indefinite article in German.

Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, and is known as “Koln” in German.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Cheap shot? BBS
4. Suggestive RISQUE
10. William Henry Harrison’s nickname TIPP (TIPPECANOE)
(13D. TREE PECAN)
(36A. – NOE)
14. Contribute, as to a fund PAY IN
19. Fink RAT
20. Successively IN TURN
21. Grimm start? ONCE
22. Overseas love AMORE
23. Pasta suffix -INI
24. Very simple AS EASY AS ABC
26. Turns bad SOURS
27. Lucy Ricardo’s friend ETHE (ETHEL MERTZ)
(28D. TREE ELM)
(38A. – MERTZ)
29. Phases PERIODS
30. Source of the word “mantra” SANSKRIT
32. All out FULL TILT
34. Excess FAT
36. – NOE
37. U.F.O. occupants ETS
38. – MERTZ
39. Finalize SEW UP
41. First choice PLAN A
43. Year that “Shrek” and “Zoolander” came out MMI
46. Cause of inflation? AIR
47. Thief STEALER
49. Features of Appaloosa coats SPOTS
51. Vile DETESTABLE
54. Profit YIELD
56. Monopoly property: Abbr. UTIL
57. Wet depression SWALE
58. Cavorted PRANC (PRANCED AROUND)
(59D. TREE CEDAR)
(85A. – ROUND)
60. Like many a stain before washing PRESO (PRESOAKED)
(61D. TREE OAK)
(73A. – KED)
62. R.V. stop, maybe KOA
63. The First Lady of Song, to fans ELLA
64. It makes Bruce Banner turn into the Hulk ANGER
66. Lathering SOAPING
68. Sick bay INF (INFIRMARY)
(69D. TREE FIR)
(82A. – RMARY)
70. They’re around 2.0 C-STUDENTS
73. – KED
74. Shortest Old Testament book OBADIAH
77. Queen Amidala’s home in “Star Wars” NABOO
78. Droids, e.g., for short PDAS
81. Cab alternative ZIN
82. – RMARY
85. – ROUND
87. 2004-13 CBS procedural CSI: NY
88. Wreck MESS
90. “Oh, go on!” PSHAW!
92. Diner side dish ONION RINGS
94. Pays to play ANTES
96. They got tipped at old-fashioned gentlemen’s clubs TOP HATS
98. Mud JOE
99. Comprehend GET
100. ___ cheese NACHO
102. Flies (through) SAILS
103. Old roadside advertiser BURMA (BURMA-SHAVE)
(104D. TREE ASH)
(119A. – HAVE)
105. Run a fever, say AIL
106. Accusing of misconduct IMP (IMPEACHING)
107D. TREE PEACH
(130A. – HING)
108. Philosopher Mo-___ TZE
109. Sized up ASSESSED
113. “Rebel Without a Cause” actor SAL MINEO
116. Fine fabric BATISTE
119. – HAVE
120. “Middlemarch” author ELIOT
121. Early AHEAD OF TIME
124. Sweet potato YAM
125. Tie a quick knot? ELOPE
126. Something most people don’t want two of CHIN
127. Small, as a garage ONE-CAR
128. Words for entering a united state I DO
129. Units of force DYNES
130. – HING
131. L.P.G.A. star Ochoa LORENA
132. X TEN

Down
1. Court filing BRIEF
2. Source of the words “mamba” and “chimpanzee” BANTU
3. Big name in chain saws and leaf blowers STIHL
4. Narrow inlet RIA
5. Psychically, if not physically IN SPIRIT
6. Symbol for a sharp mind STEEL TRAP
7. Amethyst or citrine QUARTZ
8. Latin bears URSI
9. Greek war goddess ENYO
10. Scrap TOSS AWAY
11. ___ moment IN A
12. They’ve been banned in the U.S. since ’79 PCBS
13. TREE PECAN
14. Gobs PASSELS
15. One way to run AMOK
16. “Amen to that!” YOU’RE NOT KIDDING!
17. Pain in the neck IRRITATION
18. Where many flights end NESTS
25. Charge for a plug AD FEE
28. TREE ELM
31. Queue before Q NOP
33. Say “nyah, nyah,” say TEASE
35. Flower that symbolizes paradise on earth TULIP
39. British arm STEN GUN
40. Source of pressure, at times PEER
42. Kwik-E-Mart operator APU
43. Goods: Abbr. MDSE
44. Cry like a baby MEWL
45. Sly nickname? ITALIAN STALLION
47. Viewpoint SLANT
48. Like months when oysters are not in season R-LESS
50. Bad-mouth, in Britain SLAG
52. African antelope ELAND
53. Beach tops BRAS
55. Brit. award DSO
59. TREE CEDAR
61. TREE OAK
65. Fixes a frozen screen, say REBOOTS
67. Old “Gotta have it” sloganeer PEPSI
69. TREE FIR
70. The New Yorker cartoonist Roz CHAST
71. Lions and tigers … and bears, sometimes? NOUNS
72. Tennille of tunes TONI
74. L. Frank Baum princess OZMA
75. How congressional elections are held BIENNIALLY
76. Rock blaster AMP
79. Haloed one: Fr. ANGE
80. Part of CBS: Abbr. SYST
83. Fraternity letters RHOS
84. Scold shrilly YAP AT
86. Show adequate appreciation DO JUSTICE
87. Sweet filling CREME
89. Org. for Bulldogs, Gators and Tigers SEC
91. First-rate WHIZ-BANG
93. Leif Ericson, e.g. NORSEMAN
95. Some Muslims SHIITES
97. Follow ___ (do some sleuthing) A LEAD
101. Every, in Rx’s OMN
103. Kitchen item used on Thanksgiving BASTER
104. TREE ASH
105. Plant ___ (suggest something) A SEED
107. TREE PEACH
110. “Speak up!” SAY IT!
111. Duck EVADE
112. Fiend DEMON
114. Wear a long face MOPE
115. “Didn’t see you there” OH HI
117. Jerk, slangily TOOL
118. “___ one objects …” IF NO
122. Article of Cologne EIN
123. Geological span ERA

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