1015-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 15 Oct 14, Wednesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: David Poole
THEME: Chuck Berry … each of today’s themed answers is a common phrase, but with the word BERRY removed, CHUCKED out:

56A. One of the original Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, whose name is a hint to the answers to the four starred clues CHUCK BERRY

17A. *Drifter of literature HUCKLE(BERRY) FINN
28A. *Potent potable in “Arsenic and Old Lace” ELDER(BERRY) WINE
33A. *Nicole Kidman, hairwise STRAW(BERRY) BLONDE
43A. *1985 Prince hit RASP(BERRY) BERET

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 32s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

5. Places longshoremen work DOCKS
A stevedore, or longshoreman, is someone employed in the loading and unloading of ships at a port. The word “stevedore” comes from the Spanish “estibador”, meaning “one who loads cargo”, with the verb “to steeve” meaning to load cargo in a hold. The word “longshoreman”, is simply from “a man who works alongshore”.

14. Mozart’s “___ Fan Tutte” COSI
Mozart’s comic opera “Così fan tutte” is also known in English as “The School for Lovers”. The literal translation of the opera’s title is “Thus do all (women)”, or “Women are like that”.

15. Internet giant that purchased Flickr in 2005 YAHOO
Jerry Yang and David Filo called their company “Yahoo!” for two reasons. Firstly, a Yahoo is a rude unsophisticated brute from Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. Secondly, Yahoo stands for “Yet another Hierarchical Officious Oracle”.

Flickr is a photo- and video-sharing website that was launched in 2005, and purchased by Yahoo for $22-25 million.

16. “The Time Machine” vegetarians ELOI
In the 1895 novel by H. G. Wells called “The Time Machine”, there are two races that the hero encounter in his travels into the future. The Eloi are the “beautiful people” who live on the planet’s surface. The Morlocks are a race of cannibals living underground who use the Eloi as food.

17. *Drifter of literature HUCKLE(BERRY) FINN
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was first published in 1884, not here in the US but rather in England. The original launch planned for the US had to be delayed until the following year because some rascal had defaced the plate for one of the illustrations, making an obscene joke. Once the problem was spotted a new plate had to be made, and 30,000 copies already printed had to be reworked to cover up the obscenity.

19. Flow stopper CLOT
Platelets are cell-like structures in the blood, although they have no nucleus nor any DNA. When bleeding occurs, the wall of the damaged blood vessel is covered with a clot made up of platelets enmeshed in a protein called fibrin.

20. Sorrowful 1954 Patti Page hit I CRIED
Patti Page is the stage name of Clara Ann Fowler, the best-selling female artist in the 1950s. Patti Page’s signature song is “Tennessee Waltz”, a big hit for her that spent 13 weeks at number one in the charts in 1950. She also had a number one with “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window” in 1953.

23. Swiss/Austrian border river RHINE
The river running through Europe that we know in English as the Rhine, is called “Rhein” in German, “Rhin” in French and “Rijn” in Dutch.

26. One-third of a triptych PANEL
A triptych is a work of art divided into three panels. The word “triptych” comes from the Greek adjective for “three-fold”.

27. Cube creator RUBIK
What was originally called the “Magic Cube” became better known as Rubik’s Cube, named for its inventor Ernő Rubik. Rubik’s Cube is the world’s biggest selling puzzle game, with over 350 million sold in just over 30 years.

28. *Potent potable in “Arsenic and Old Lace” ELDER(BERRY) WINE
I suppose that most famously “Arsenic and Old Lace” is a Frank Capra film, released in 1944. The movie was based on a 1939 stage play by Joseph Kesselring. The film stars Cary Grant as a completely madcap and frantic Mortimer Brewster. Grant was only the fourth choice for the role, after Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Ronald Reagan. That’s quite an eclectic mix of actors …

31. It can take your breath away BOA
Boa constrictors are members of the Boidae family of snakes, all of which are non-venomous. Interestingly, the female boa is always larger than the male.

33. *Nicole Kidman, hairwise STRAW(BERRY) BLONDE
Nicole Kidman is an Australian-American actress whose breakthrough role was the female lead in 1989’s “Dead Calm”. Kidman was actually born in Hawaii, to Australian parents. As a result, she has dual citizenship of Australia and the US.

38. Brynner of “The King and I” YUL
Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor. Brynner was well known for his great performances, but also for his shaved head and his deep rich voice. He first adopted the “hairstyle” while playing the King of Siam in the stage version of “The King and I”, and he stuck with it.

“The King and I” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on a book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam” first published in 1944. Landon’s book is based on a true story, told in the memoirs of Anna Leonowens. Leonowens was the governess of the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s, and she also taught the king’s wives.

39. ___ Savage, player of the boy on “Boy Meets World” BEN
“Boy Meets World” was a comedy-drama series that aired from 1993 to 2000. The main character was Cory Matthews, played by child star Ben Savage. Ben is the younger brother of another child star, Fred Savage of “Wonder Years” fame.

40. Dr. J’s league, once, for short ABA
Julius Erving is a retired professional basketball player who was known as “Dr. J”, a nickname he picked up in high school. Dr. J was a trailblazer in many ways, being the first player associated with slam dunking and other moves above the rim.

43. *1985 Prince hit RASP(BERRY) BERET
The singer Prince was born in Minneapolis, and he lives there to this day. He took his name from his father, a jazz musician who used the stage name Prince Rogers.

47. Screenwriter Sorkin AARON
The wonderful screenwriter Aaron Sorkin got his big break when his stage play “A Few Good Men” was picked up by a Hollywood producer. Since then Sorkin has written great films including “The American President”, “The Social Network”, “Charlie Wilson’s War”, “Moneyball” and the excellent “The West Wing” television series. There is a new television show of his showing on HBO these days that is getting good reviews called “The Newsroom”.

49. Pop singer Mann AIMEE
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer and guitarist.

50. Story assigners, in brief EDS
Editor (ed.)

51. “You had me at ___” (“Jerry Maguire” line) HELLO
“Jerry Maguire” is a 1996 film starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Renée Zellweger. The title character is played by Cruise, and is a sports agent. There are several liines oft quoted from “Jerry Maguire” including:

– “Show me the money!”
– “You complete me”
– “You had me at ‘hello’”

55. Man or Mull ISLE
The Isle of Man is a large island located in the middle of the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. I used to spend a lot of time there in my youth, and a very interesting place it is indeed. The Isle of Man is classed as a British Crown Dependency and isn’t part of the United Kingdom at all. It is self-governing and has its own parliament called the Tynwald. The Tynwald was created in AD 979 and is arguably the oldest continuously-running parliament in the world. The inhabitants of the island speak English, although they do have their own language as well called Manx, which is very similar to Irish Gaeilge and Scottish Gaelic. And then there are those Manx cats, the ones without any tails. I’ve seen lots of them, and can attest that they are indeed found all over the island.

The Isle of Mull (sometimes called just “Mull”) is part of the Inner Hebrides, which lie off the west coast of Scotland.

56. One of the original Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, whose name is a hint to the answers to the four starred clues CHUCK BERRY
Chuck Berry may be a pioneer of rock and roll, but he had an inauspicious start to his life. He was raised in a middle class family in St. Louis, and started playing and performing music in high school. However, while still at school he was arrested and convicted of armed robbery. He served three years for the crime, and was released from prison in 1947 on his 21st birthday. He certainly got his act together after that …

59. Shoulder muscle, to a gym rat DELT
The deltoid muscle is actually a group of muscles, the ones that cover the shoulder and create the roundness under the skin. The deltoids are triangular in shape resembling the Greek letter delta, hence the name.

64. Where Citigroup is C, for short NYSE
Citigroup used the ticker symbol C on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

In 1998, one of the biggest company mergers in history took place, between Citicorp and Travelers Group. The result was Citigroup, a seemingly unstoppable giant until we taxpayers bailed the company out in 2008 with $25 million.

Down
1. Astronaut Wally, the first person to go into space three times SCHIRRA
Wally Schirra was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. He was the only astronaut who flew in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs. Schirra retired after commanding the Apollo 7 mission, and took the seat beside Walter Cronkite for the TV coverage for the seven moon landings. Schirra was a naval officer. After he passed away in 2007, his body was cremated and his ashes were committed to the deep in a burial at sea ceremony on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

4. Two-piece suit BIKINI
The origin of the name “bikini”, a type of bathing suit, seems very uncertain. My favorite story is that it is named after the Bikini Atoll, site of American A-bomb tests in the forties and fifties. The name “bikini” was chosen for the swim-wear because of the “explosive” effect it had on men who saw a woman wearing the garment!

7. Tai ___ CHI
More properly called tai chi chuan, tai chi is a martial art mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

8. German chancellor Adenauer KONRAD
Konrad Adenauer was the first Chancellor of West Germany after WWII, taking office in 1949 at the age of 73. Adenauer was 87 years old when he left office. Understandably perhaps, his nickname was “Der Alte”, German for “the old man”. Adenauer spent much of WWII in prison, courtesy of Herr Hitler.

9. Unit of loudness SONE
In the acoustic world, the “sone” was introduced as a unit of perceived loudness in 1936.

11. “Fighting” Big Ten team ILLINI
The Illini (or the Fighting Illini) is the name given to the athletic teams and marching band of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The name Illinois is a French name that was given to the people who lived in the area (called Illiniwek).

13. Lilliputian LITTLE
The word “lilliputian” meaning “wee” or “very small”, comes from Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”. In Swift’s tale, Lilliput and Blefuscu are two island nations that are inhabited by tiny people who are under six inches tall.

18. Vichyssoise vegetable LEEK
Vichyssoise is a thick puréed potato soup that can be served hot, but is usually served cold. As well as potatoes, a classic vichyssoise contains leeks, onions, cream and chicken stock. Although the origin is disputed, it seems that the vichyssoise was invented in America, albeit by a French chef. That chef named his soup after the town of Vichy in France.

29. View from Windsor Castle ETON
The world-famous Eton College is just a brisk walk from Windsor Castle, which itself is just outside London. Eton is noted for producing many British leaders including David Cameron who took power in the last UK general election. The list of Old Etonians also includes Princes William and Harry, the Duke of Wellington, George Orwell, and the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming (as well as 007 himself as described in the Fleming novels).

31. Christian in Hollywood BALE
Christian Bale is an actor from Wales in the UK, although he is better known for his work on this side of the Atlantic. Bale’s big break in movies came in 1987 when whe on the starring role in Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” at only 13 years of age. He has also played Batman three times, in “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012).

35. Hayseeds RUBES
A “rube” is person lacking sophistication, often described as “a country bumpkin”. The term derives from the masculine name “Reuben”, which was considered back in the early 1800s to be a typical name used in rural areas.

37. Tea choice for TV’s Frasier Crane EARL GREY
The Earl Grey blend of tea is supposedly named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey who was Prime Minister of the UK from 1830 to 1834. Earl Grey tea has a distinctive flavor that is largely due to the addition of oil from the rind of the bergamot orange.

“Frasier” is a very successful sitcom that originally aired from 1993 to 2004, a spinoff of the equally successful show “Cheers”. Star of the show is Kelsey Grammer, who plays radio psychologist Dr. Frasier Crane. Grammer ties the record for the longest running portrayal of the same character on television with his portrayal of Frasier Crane. James Arness also played a character for twenty years, namely Marshall Dillon on the Western series “Gunsmoke”. That said, the voice actors on the “The Simpsons” have been at the job longer, but they’re in an animated show.

41. Short jackets worn open in front BOLEROS
A bolero jacket is a very short tailored jacket that probably takes its name from the Spanish dance. Male bolero dancers often wear such a jacket. A less formal version of a bolero jacket is called a “shrug”. A shrug is usually knitted and resembles a cardigan.

42. Pain reliever ANODYNE
Something described as “anodyne” is analgesic, capable of removing pain. “Anodyne” comes from the Greek “an-” meaning “without” and “odyne” meaning “pain”.

47. Starbuck’s superior AHAB
Captain Ahab is the obsessed and far from friendly captain of the Pequod in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”. The role of Captain Ahab was played by Gregory Peck in the 1956 John Huston film adaptation. Patrick Stewart played Ahab in a 1998 miniseries in which Peck made another appearance, as Father Mapple.

The most famous whale-hunting ship in fiction has to be Herman Melville’s Pequod, featured in his novel “Moby Dick”. The young chief mate of the Pequod is named Starbuck. Starbuck’s name was lifted and used by a Seattle-based coffee company.

48. Greece/Turkey separator, with “the” AEGEAN
The Aegean Sea is that part of the Mediterranean that lies between Greece and Turkey. Within the Aegean Sea are found the Aegean Islands, a group that includes Crete and Rhodes.

57. Kiev’s land: Abbr. UKR
Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe, a Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) before the dissolution of the USSR. In English we often call the country “the” Ukraine, but I am told that we should just say “Ukraine”.

Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and a beautiful city, from what I’ve heard from friends who have visited …

58. Many a Fortune profilee, for short CEO
“Fortune” is a bi-weekly business magazine that was founded by Henry Luce in 1930, just four months after the 1929 Wall Street Crash. “Fortune” is noted for its annual ranking of companies by revenue, especially the Fortune 500.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Attempt STAB
5. Places longshoremen work DOCKS
10. Pickle flavoring DILL
14. Mozart’s “___ Fan Tutte” COSI
15. Internet giant that purchased Flickr in 2005 YAHOO
16. “The Time Machine” vegetarians ELOI
17. *Drifter of literature HUCKLE(BERRY) FINN
19. Flow stopper CLOT
20. Sorrowful 1954 Patti Page hit I CRIED
21. Pragmatic person REALIST
23. Swiss/Austrian border river RHINE
24. Degree for many a 58-Down MBA
26. One-third of a triptych PANEL
27. Cube creator RUBIK
28. *Potent potable in “Arsenic and Old Lace” ELDER(BERRY) WINE
30. Parrot APE
31. It can take your breath away BOA
32. Big ___ (hallux) TOE
33. *Nicole Kidman, hairwise STRAW(BERRY) BLONDE
38. Brynner of “The King and I” YUL
39. ___ Savage, player of the boy on “Boy Meets World” BEN
40. Dr. J’s league, once, for short ABA
43. *1985 Prince hit RASP(BERRY) BERET
47. Screenwriter Sorkin AARON
49. Pop singer Mann AIMEE
50. Story assigners, in brief EDS
51. “You had me at ___” (“Jerry Maguire” line) HELLO
52. Like preserved flowers and writers under deadline PRESSED
54. Surrendered to gravity SAGGED
55. Man or Mull ISLE
56. One of the original Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, whose name is a hint to the answers to the four starred clues CHUCK BERRY
59. Shoulder muscle, to a gym rat DELT
60. Cornball HOKEY
61. Forever and a day AEON
62. Comes out with SAYS
63. Spanish “others” OTROS
64. Where Citigroup is C, for short NYSE

Down
1. Astronaut Wally, the first person to go into space three times SCHIRRA
2. Airbrush, e.g. TOUCH UP
3. Attributes ASCRIBES
4. Two-piece suit BIKINI
5. Brunette no more, say DYED
6. Bumbler OAF
7. Tai ___ CHI
8. German chancellor Adenauer KONRAD
9. Unit of loudness SONE
10. Rendered harmless, in a way DECLAWED
11. “Fighting” Big Ten team ILLINI
12. Relax LOOSEN
13. Lilliputian LITTLE
18. Vichyssoise vegetable LEEK
22. Plane’s parking place APRON
24. Request for milk, maybe MEOW
25. Spilled the beans BLABBED
29. View from Windsor Castle ETON
31. Christian in Hollywood BALE
34. Prepares for proofing TYPESETS
35. Hayseeds RUBES
36. Court replays LETS
37. Tea choice for TV’s Frasier Crane EARL GREY
41. Short jackets worn open in front BOLEROS
42. Pain reliever ANODYNE
43. Canoeist’s challenge RAPIDS
44. Like some rescues AIR-SEA
45. Ripe SMELLY
46. Flying off the shelves RED-HOT
47. Starbuck’s superior AHAB
48. Greece/Turkey separator, with “the” AEGEAN
53. Bounce back ECHO
54. “The ___ the limit!” SKY’S
57. Kiev’s land: Abbr. UKR
58. Many a Fortune profilee, for short CEO

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2 thoughts on “1015-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 15 Oct 14, Wednesday”

  1. Chuck Berry still plays once a week in University City, MO. The story goes that he always drives his Cadillac Eldorado to the gig, gets paid in cash, drops the briefcase of cash in his trunk and drives on to other nighttime ventures.

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