QuickLinks:
Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
Solution to today’s New York Times crossword found online at the Seattle Times website
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers
CROSSWORD SETTER: Evans Clinchy
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 22m 33s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
15. Guinness record-setter for “highest-rated TV series” (scoring 99 out of 100 on Metacritic.com) BREAKING BAD
“Breaking Bad” is a crime drama series that originally aired on AMC from 2008 to 2013. The show was created by Vince Gilligan who had spent many years as producer and writer of “The X-Files”. Fans of “Breaking Bad” might like to know that there is spin-off show coming to AMC called “Better Call Saul” that focuses on the life of lawyer Saul Goodman.
16. Org. with a radon hotline EPA
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Radon is a radioactive gas, a byproduct produced when uranium decays naturally in the earth. Radon gas can collect and accumulate in buildings and rooms that are particularly well insulated with very little air exchange. The danger is very real, as radon is listed as the second most frequent cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke.
18. Burmese greeting MEW
Most Burmese cats today can be traced back to a single ancestor, a female cat given the name Wong Mau that was brought from Burma to America in 1930. Amazing …
22. Tom Petty’s “___ So Bad” YER
The singer-songwriter Tom Petty first became interested in rock and roll music when he met Elvis Presley at ten-years-old. Later he was inspired to get into a band when he saw The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. Pretty cool role models, I’d say …
23. Game of pure chance WAR
War is a card game, mainly played by young children.
26. Third party label: Abbr. SOC
I think the idea is that a Socialist might be viewed as a member of a third political party, behind the Democrats and Republicans. But, I am so often wrong …
35. Biblical land in what is now Yemen SHEBA
Sheba is referenced in the Bible several times. The “Queen of Sheba” is mentioned as someone who traveled to Jerusalem to behold the fame of King Solomon. No one knows for sure where the kingdom of Sheba was located, although there is evidence that it was actually the ancient Semitic civilization of Saba. The Sabeans lived in what today is Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula.
40. Tourist city on the Yamuna AGRA
Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the river Yamuna in India. The city is famous of course, as home to the magnificent Taj Mahal. Agra was also the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658.
42. Spanish 101 verb SER
The verb “to be” is “ser” in Spanish and “être” in French.
43. Country that includes the islands of Gozo and Comino MALTA
The island state of Malta is relatively small, but its large number of inhabitants makes it one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Malta’s strategic location has made it a prized possession for the conquering empires of the world. Most recently it was part of the British Empire and was an important fleet headquarters. Malta played a crucial role for the Allies during WWII as it was located very close to the Axis shipping lanes in the Mediterranean. The Siege of Malta lasted from 1940 to 1942, a prolonged attack by the Italians and Germans on the RAF and Royal Navy, and the people of Malta. When the siege was lifted, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the people of Malta collectively in recognition of their heroism and devotion to the Allied cause. The George Cross can still be seen on the Maltese flag, even though Britain granted Malta independence in 1964.
46. Laotian money KIP
The kip has been the unit of currency in Laos since 1952. One kip is divided into 100 att.
49. Manhattan architect? BARTENDER
The cocktail called a Manhattan is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. I make my own version of a Brandy Manhattan, using brandy, sweet vermouth and orange bitters.
52. Spread of book and film TARA
Rhett Butler hung out with Scarlett O’Hara at the Tara plantation in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind”. Tara was founded not far from the Georgia city of Jonesboro by Scarlett’s father, Irish immigrant Gerald O’Hara. Gerald named his new abode after the Hill of Tara back in his home country, the ancient seat of the High King of Ireland.
53. N.L. West team, on scoreboards ARI
The Arizona Diamondbacks joined Major League Baseball’s National League in 1998. By winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team to do so in Major League history.
57. Place for a monitor, for short ICU
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
58. 2014 N.B.A. M.V.P. KEVIN DURANT
Kevin Durant is a professional basketball player with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. You might come across Durant on the big screen as well, as he starred in the children’s film “Thunderstruck” in 2012.
59. Omega, in physics OHM
The unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (with the symbol omega) named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm. Ohm was the guy who established experimentally that the amount of current flowing through a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage applied, (V=IR) a relationship that every school kid knows as Ohm’s Law.
Down
1. Austen’s “Northanger ___” ABBEY
Jane Austen is a favorite author of mine, and I have been lucky enough to have visited many of the sites in England that have been associated with her life. Favorite of these is a large cottage in the village of Chawton in Hampshire, England. Austen moved to Chawton from Bath, and there wrote and published her most famous novels, including “Sense and Sensibility”, “Pride and Prejudice” and “Mansfield Park”.
2. Architectural crossbeam TRAVE
In architecture, a “trave” is a crossbeam, or the section of perhaps a ceiling that is formed by crossbeams.
3. 100,000,000 maxwells WEBER
In the world of physics, the weber is the unit of magnetic flux. The unit is named for the German physicist Wilhelm Eduard Weber who was the co-inventor of the electromagnetic telegraph.
6. Year before the emperor Trajan was born LII
Trajan was the Emperor of Rome between the years 98 and 117. The Roman Empire reached further geographically under Trajan than any other emperor.
9. Help complete a job ABET
The word “abet” comes into English from the Old French “abeter” meaning “to bait” or “to harass with dogs” (it literally means “to make bite”). This sense of encouraging something bad to happen morphed into our modern usage of “abet” meaning to aid or encourage someone in a crime.
10. City in old westerns LAREDO
Laredo is a border city in Texas, situated on the banks of the Rio Grande across the border from Nuevo Laredo in Mexico.
11. Villager station wagon, e.g. EDSEL
The Edsel brand of automobile was named for Edsel, son of Henry Ford. Sadly, the name “Edsel” has become synonymous with “failure”, which was no fault of Edsel himself who had died several years before the Edsel line was introduced.
24. Cartoon supplier ACME
The Acme Corporation is a fictional company used mainly by Looney Tunes, and within the Looney Tunes empire it was used mostly in the “Road Runner” cartoons. Wile E. Coyote was always receiving a new piece of gear from Acme designed to finally capture the Road Runner, but the equipment always led to his downfall instead.
26. It’s relatively lacking in iodine SEA SALT
Back in 1924, a professor of pediatrics in Michigan led a campaign in the US to have producers of salt add a small amount of sodium iodide to table salt, so that the population would have a readily available source of the iodine micronutrient. His goal was to reduce the incidence of goiter in the population.
27. “Benson” actor Phillips ETHAN
Ethan Phillips is an actor best known for playing Neelix on “Star Trek: Voyager” and PR man Pete Downey on “Benson”.
28. Baker with a trumpet CHET
The famous jazz trumpeter Chet Baker was noted for his heroin addiction, a problem that nearly put an end to his performing career. He managed a comeback in the late seventies, mainly appearing and recording in Europe. But he never kicked the drug habit and was found dead one day after falling from his hotel room window in Amsterdam.
31. Eastern leader AGHA
“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.
35. Animated hero of 2001 SHREK
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”.
45. 16th-century council site TRENT
Trento is a city in northern Italy, famous as the host of the 16th century Council of Trent held by the Roman Catholic Church. This Ecumenical Council meeting was held largely in response to the growing Protestant Reformation. It was the decisions made at the Council of Trent that led to the Counter-Reformation, the revival of the Catholic church over the following 100 years.
46. Best Director of 1947 and 1954 KAZAN
Elia Kazan won Oscars for best director in 1948 for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and in 1955 for “On The Waterfront”. In 1999 Kazan was given an Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also directed “East of Eden”, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences, and “Splendor in the Grass” that included Warren Beatty in his debut role.
47. Memorable hurricane of 2011 IRENE
Hurricane Irene caused extensive flooding in 2011 as it travelled through the Caribbean, up the East Coast of the United States and into the Atlantic seaboard of Canada. The hurricane was unusual in that it came so far up north. Fifty-five deaths were attributed to Irene.
48. Gauchos, e.g. PANTS
Gaucho pants are very loose around the leg. I guess they’re named for the South American cowboys known as gauchos.
49. “Soap” actor Jimmy BAIO
The actor Jimmy Baio played young Billy Tate on the TV sitcom “Soap”. Jimmy is a cousin of fellow actor Scott Baio who played Chachi on “Happy Days”.
50. Many an exploding star DIVA
“Diva” comes to us from Latin via Italian. “Diva” is the feminine form of “divus” meaning “divine one”. The word is used in Italy to mean “goddess” or “fine lady”, and especially is applied to the prima donna in an opera. We often use the term to describe a singer with a big ego.
51. Eastern leader EMIR
An emir is a prince or chieftain, most notably in the Middle East. In English, “emir” can also be written as “amir” and “ameer” (watch out for those spellings in crosswords!).
52. Ring combatant TORO
In Spanish, the bull (el toro) might be charging at a bullfight.
55. Big payroll service co. ADP
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is an enterprise that provides business services to companies.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Quite cheaply AT WHOLESALE
12. Green piece SOD
15. Guinness record-setter for “highest-rated TV series” (scoring 99 out of 100 on Metacritic.com) BREAKING BAD
16. Org. with a radon hotline EPA
17. Ones in praise of angels? BABYSITTERS
18. Burmese greeting MEW
19. Times in classifieds EVES
20. Looking up to ESTEEMING
22. Tom Petty’s “___ So Bad” YER
23. Game of pure chance WAR
25. Group of very small stars? D-LIST
26. Third party label: Abbr. SOC
27. Green piece? ECO-
29. Aid for collecting some samples SWAB
31. It’s shown in much storm reportage AFTERMATH
35. Biblical land in what is now Yemen SHEBA
36. Get rid of jerks? GREASE THE WHEELS
38. Mess (around) HORSE
39. Ripens MATURATES
40. Tourist city on the Yamuna AGRA
41. Common scale topper TEN
42. Spanish 101 verb SER
43. Country that includes the islands of Gozo and Comino MALTA
45. Bit of censure TSK
46. Laotian money KIP
49. Manhattan architect? BARTENDER
52. Spread of book and film TARA
53. N.L. West team, on scoreboards ARI
54. Far from scarce A DIME A DOZEN
57. Place for a monitor, for short ICU
58. 2014 N.B.A. M.V.P. KEVIN DURANT
59. Omega, in physics OHM
60. Millions of people swipe them SMARTPHONES
Down
1. Austen’s “Northanger ___” ABBEY
2. Architectural crossbeam TRAVE
3. 100,000,000 maxwells WEBER
4. Makes bale? HAYS
5. Clears OKS
6. Year before the emperor Trajan was born LII
7. Key key? ENTER
8. They may be in a mess: Abbr. SGTS
9. Help complete a job ABET
10. City in old westerns LAREDO
11. Villager station wagon, e.g. EDSEL
12. Like some chocolate SEMISWEET
13. Restaurant availability OPEN TABLE
14. Bud, slangily DAWG
21. Catch badly? MISHEAR
23. Having gone south WORSE
24. Cartoon supplier ACME
26. It’s relatively lacking in iodine SEA SALT
27. “Benson” actor Phillips ETHAN
28. Baker with a trumpet CHET
30. Deep end? BASS
31. Eastern leader AGHA
32. Force to walk with the arms pinned behind FROGMARCH
33. Turtle locale, maybe TERRARIUM
34. “Look ___!” AT ME
35. Animated hero of 2001 SHREK
37. Big chicken WUSS
41. One after another? TANDEM
44. Some desk materials TEAKS
45. 16th-century council site TRENT
46. Best Director of 1947 and 1954 KAZAN
47. Memorable hurricane of 2011 IRENE
48. Gauchos, e.g. PANTS
49. “Soap” actor Jimmy BAIO
50. Many an exploding star DIVA
51. Eastern leader EMIR
52. Ring combatant TORO
55. Big payroll service co. ADP
56. “Of course!” DUH!
The Best of the New York Times Crossword Collections
Amazon.com Widgets