1118-14 New York Times Crossword Answers 18 Nov 14, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jacob McDermott
THEME: Power Couple … each of today’s answers comprise two parts, with each part being a word that often precedes POWER:

36A. Beyoncé and Jay Z, e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 44- and 61-Across : POWER COUPLE

17A. Luminary among luminaries : SUPERSTAR (giving “superpower” & “star power”)
30A. Flat out : FULL STEAM (giving “full power” & “steam power”)
44A. Snooty attitude : HIGH HORSE (giving “high power” & “horsepower”)
61A. Bodybuilder, for one : MUSCLEMAN (giving “muscle power” & “manpower”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 08s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. ___-retentive : ANAL
Our use of the word “anal” is an abbreviated form of “anal-retentive”, a term derived from Freudian psychology.

5. Plane, on a radar screen : BLIP
Scientists have been using radio waves to detect the presence of objects since the late 1800s, but it was the demands of WWII that accelerated the practical application of the technology. The British called their system RDF standing for Range and Direction Finding. The system used by the US Navy was called Radio Detection And Ranging, which was shortened to the acronym RADAR.

9. Sarcasm : SNARK
“Snark” is a term that was coined by Lewis Carroll in his fabulous 1876 nonsense poem “The Hunting of the Snark”. Somehow, the term “snarky” came to mean “irritable, short-tempered” in the early 1900s, and from there “snark” became “sarcastic rhetoric” at the beginning of the 21st century.

14. “Swans Reflecting Elephants” painter : DALI
“Swans Reflecting Elephants” is a painting that Salvador Dali completed in 1937. The title is somewhat self-explanatory. The scene features some swans on a lake, along with their reflections. In the reflection the swans take on the appearance of elephants, with the swans’ necks becoming elephant trunks and wings becoming ears.

21. Whom “unto us” is given, in Isaiah : A SON
“Unto us a son is given”, are words from Handel’s “Messiah”. They actually come from the book of Isaiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

29. Stand an artist might take : EASEL
The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would carry its load.

34. Novelist Anaïs : NIN
Anaïs Nin was a French author, famous for her journals that she wrote for over sixty years from the age of 11 right up to her death. Nin also wrote highly-regarded erotica and cited D. H. Lawrence as someone from whom she drew inspiration. Nin was married to banker and artist Hugh Parker Guiler in 1923. Decades later in 1955, Nin married former actor Rupert Pole, even though she was still married to Guiler. Nin and Pole had their marriage annulled in 1966, but just for legal reasons, and they continued to live together as husband and wife until Nin passed away in 1977.

35. Half of an umlaut : DOT
An “umlaut” (also “diaeresis”) is a diacritical mark consisting of two horizontal dots placed over a letter, usually a vowel. Here in the West, we are perhaps most familiar with umlauts in German, as in “Schön”.

36. Beyoncé and Jay Z, e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 44- and 61-Across : POWER COUPLE
Beyoncé Knowles established herself in the entertainment industry as the lead singer with the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She launched her solo singing career in 2003, two years after making her first appearance as an actor. In 2006 she played the lead in the very successful movie adaptation of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Beyoncé is married to rap star Jay-Z.

42. Hawaii’s Mauna ___ : LOA
Mauna Loa on the “big island” of Hawaii is the largest volcano on the planet (in terms of volume). The name “Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “Long Mountain”.

55. CBS forensic series : CSI
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.

56. There’s one in this cleu : TYPO
“Cleu” should be spelled “clue” … there’s a typo.

57. ___ Khan : AGA
Aga Khan is a hereditary title of the Imam of a large sect within the Shi’a Muslim faith. The current Aga Khan is Shah Karim al-Hussayni, who has held the position since 1957.

63. Pastoral composition : IDYLL
An “idyll” (also “idyl”) is a short poem with a pastoral theme, usually depicting the scene in romantic and idealized terms. The word comes from the Greek “eidyllion”, which literally translates to “little picture” but was a word describing a short, poem with a rustic theme.

66. Brawl : MELEE
Our word “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

67. PBS station behind “Live From Lincoln Center” : WNET
WNET is a television station located in Newark, New Jersey. It is PBS’s station that covers New York City, as well as the rest of the tri-state area.

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts takes its name from the neighborhood in which it is situated, Lincoln Square in New York City. .

68. Certain Protestant: Abbr. : EPIS
The Episcopal Church in the US is a branch of the Anglican Communion, and so is associated with the Church of England. The Episcopal Church is descended from the Church of England’s presence in the American colonies, prior to the American Revolution. The American Anglicans split with mother church, largely because the clergy of the Church of England are required to swear allegiance to the British monarch. Members of the Episcopal Church are known as Episcopalians. “Episcopal” is an adjective and “Episcopalian” is a noun.

Down
5. Voice in the role of Mefistofele, e.g. : BASSO
Arrigo Boito was an Italian poet and librettist who completed one opera of his own (“Mefistofele”) and who left one other opera partially complete called “Nerone”. This incomplete opera tells the story of Rome at the time of Emperor Nero. “Nerone” was completed after Boito’s death by a trio of musicians, including Arturo Toscanini, and was premiered at La Scala in 1924, six years after Boito died.

7. Country bordering three “-stans” : IRAN
Iran is bordered by several countries:

– Armenia and Azerbaijan in the northwest
– Turkmenistan to the northeast
– Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east
– Turkey and Iraq to the west.

10. Candy bar filling : NOUGAT
“Nougat” is an Occitan word (Occitania being a region of Southern Europe) which translates as “nut bread”.

13. ___ Jewelers : KAY
Kay Jewelers is perhaps the most famous store brand owned by Sterling Jewelers. Sterling is the largest fine jewelry chain in the country, with the company’s main competitor being Zale Corporation.

22. Waldorf salad morsel : WALNUT
As one might expect, the Waldorf salad was first created at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City (now the Waldorf-Astoria), back in the 1890s. The classic version of the Waldorf salad is made from apples, celery and walnuts dressed in mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce. Anyone who is a fan of the BBC sitcom “Fawlty Towers” will remember how much trouble Basil Fawlty had coming up with a Waldorf salad for an American guest, as the kitchen was “out of Waldorfs” …

25. Muse sometimes pictured with a book or scroll : CLIO
In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

– Calliope (epic poetry)
– Clio (history)
– Erato (lyric poetry)
– Euterpe (music)
– Melpomene (tragedy)
– Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
– Terpsichore (dance)
– Thalia (comedy)
– Urania (astronomy)

26. “Venerable” scholar of old England : BEDE
The Venerable Bede was a monk in the north of England in the first century AD. Saint Bede is mainly known as an author and scholar, publisher of “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People”.

27. Vientiane native : LAO
Vientiane is the capital city of Laos, situated on the famous Mekong River. The city was originally called the “city of sandalwood” by Buddhist monks, naming after the valued trees that grew in the area. The French took the Pali words for “city of sandalwood” and rewrote it as the French-sounding “Vientiane”.

28. First responder, for short : EMT
Emergency medical technician (EMT)

31. Last of the Mohicans in “The Last of the Mohicans” : UNCAS
“The Last of the Mohicans” is an 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second in a series of five novels that comprise the “Leatherstocking Tales”. All five titles are:

– “The Deerslayer” (1841)
– “The Last of the Mohicans” (1826)
– “The Pathfinder” (1840)
– “The Pioneers” (1823)
– “The Prairie” (1827)

33. First female speaker of the House : PELOSI
Nancy Pelosi is a former Speaker of the House, the 60th person to hold that position. Ms. Pelosi represents a district not far from here, which covers most of San Francisco. She is the first Californian, the first Italian-American and the first woman to be Speaker of the House. As Speaker, she was also second in line, after the Vice President, to take over if President Obama could not finish his term. That made Nancy Pelosi the highest-ranking female politician in US history.

36. Cribbage score keepers : PEGS
Cribbage is a great card game that originated in 17th-century England, a creation of the poet Sir John Suckling. One of the unique features of the game is that a cribbage board is used to keep score. Here in the US, cribbage is very much associated with the submarine service, as it is a favorite game of submariners of all ranks.

37. Actor Calhoun : RORY
Rory Calhoun was a film and TV actor from Los Angeles. Calhoun really carved out a nice career for himself after a very ignominious start in life. Calhoun served three years in federal prison for robbing jewelry stores and cars while in this teens.

39. Many August births : LEOS
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 13 to August 23 are Leos.

40. Yellowfin tuna : AHI
Yellowfin tuna is usually marketed as “ahi”, its Hawaiian name. Yellowfin tuna is one big fish, often weighing over 300 pounds.

41. Tina Fey display : WIT
Comic actress Tina Fey has a scar on her face a few inches long on her left cheek, which I was shocked to learn was caused by a childhood “slashing” incident. When she was just five years old and playing in the front yard of her house, someone just came up to her and slashed her with a knife. How despicable!

47. Parisian palace : ELYSEE
The Élysée Palace is the official residence of the French President, and is near the Champs-Élysées in Paris. In the 1800s, there used to be a tunnel between the Élysée Palace and the nearby Tuileries Palace, a tunnel used quite often by Napoleon Bonaparte. While Napoleon lived in the Tuileries Palace, he would meet his mistresses in the Élysée Palace. He was ever the soul of discretion …

50. Capital of Rwanda : KIGALI
Kigali was chosen as the capital city of Rwanda when the nation was granted independence from Belgium in 1962. Kigali was the center of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, in which half a million to one million Rwandans were killed, perhaps 20% of the country’s total population in the space of four months.

54. Florida tourist attraction : EPCOT
EPCOT Center (now just called Epcot) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away before that vision could be realized.

60. Olive of the comics : OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the main protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …

62. Ending for Nepal : -ESE
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. ___-retentive : ANAL
5. Plane, on a radar screen : BLIP
9. Sarcasm : SNARK
14. “Swans Reflecting Elephants” painter : DALI
15. ___ Club (pilot’s group) : AERO
16. Kind of butter : COCOA
17. Luminary among luminaries : SUPERSTAR (giving “superpower” & “star power”)
19. Like many rural roads : RUTTY
20. Cigarette residue : ASH
21. Whom “unto us” is given, in Isaiah : A SON
22. What dogs’ tails do : WAG
23. Hear about : LEARN OF
25. Competent : CAPABLE
29. Stand an artist might take : EASEL
30. Flat out : FULL STEAM (giving “full power” & “steam power”)
32. Champagne opening sound : POP
34. Novelist Anaïs : NIN
35. Half of an umlaut : DOT
36. Beyoncé and Jay Z, e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 44- and 61-Across : POWER COUPLE
40. Partner of shock : AWE
42. Hawaii’s Mauna ___ : LOA
43. Link : TIE
44. Snooty attitude : HIGH HORSE (giving “high power” & “horsepower”)
48. Low pair? : SOCKS
52. “Piece of cake!” : IT’S EASY!
53. Accidentally say : LET SLIP
55. CBS forensic series : CSI
56. There’s one in this cleu : TYPO
57. ___ Khan : AGA
58. Wackos : KOOKS
61. Bodybuilder, for one : MUSCLEMAN (giving “muscle power” & “manpower”)
63. Pastoral composition : IDYLL
64. ___ cheesecake (black-and-white dessert) : OREO
65. Show petulance : SULK
66. Brawl : MELEE
67. PBS station behind “Live From Lincoln Center” : WNET
68. Certain Protestant: Abbr. : EPIS

Down
1. Magazine agent’s success : AD SALE
2. Feeling after a roller coaster ride : NAUSEA
3. Top dogs : ALPHAS
4. Perjurious statement : LIE
5. Voice in the role of Mefistofele, e.g. : BASSO
6. Excuse from responsibility : LET OFF
7. Country bordering three “-stans” : IRAN
8. “___ favor” (Spanish “please”) : POR
9. Leftovers : SCRAPS
10. Candy bar filling : NOUGAT
11. One may be hard to follow : ACT
12. “Hogwash!” : ROT!
13. ___ Jewelers : KAY
18. Became depleted : RAN LOW
22. Waldorf salad morsel : WALNUT
24. Seized car, for short : REPO
25. Muse sometimes pictured with a book or scroll : CLIO
26. “Venerable” scholar of old England : BEDE
27. Vientiane native : LAO
28. First responder, for short : EMT
31. Last of the Mohicans in “The Last of the Mohicans” : UNCAS
33. First female speaker of the House : PELOSI
36. Cribbage score keepers : PEGS
37. Actor Calhoun : RORY
38. Energetic sort : PISTOL
39. Many August births : LEOS
40. Yellowfin tuna : AHI
41. Tina Fey display : WIT
45. Shout “Ref, are you blind?!,” e.g. : HECKLE
46. Pain in the neck : HASSLE
47. Parisian palace : ELYSEE
49. Stop talking : CLAM UP
50. Capital of Rwanda : KIGALI
51. Hits bottom? : SPANKS
54. Florida tourist attraction : EPCOT
56. Spin of the dial or roll of the dice : TURN
58. Most common Korean surname : KIM
59. Poet’s dedication : ODE
60. Olive of the comics : OYL
61. Cut (down) : MOW
62. Ending for Nepal : -ESE

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