0128-15 New York Times Crossword Answers 28 Jan 15, Wednesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. With 38- and 46-Across, 1966 4 Seasons hit : I’VE GOT
38. See 1-, 10-, 21- and 26-Across : YOU
46. See 1-Across : UNDER MY SKIN
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is a 1936 Cole Porter song that first appeared in the musical film “Born to Dance”. The song went on to become a big hit for the Four Seasons, and a signature song for Frank Sinatra.

7. Popular game? : ELK
The elk (also known as the wapiti) is the one of the largest species of deer in the world, with only the moose being bigger. Early European settlers were familiar with the smaller red deer back in their homelands, so when they saw the “huge” wapiti they assumed it was a moose, and incorrectly gave it the European name for a moose, namely “elk”. The more correct name for the beast is “wapiti”, which means “white rump” in Shawnee. It’s all very confusing …

10. With 38- and 50-Across, 1967 Beatles hit : ALL
38. See 1-, 10-, 21- and 26-Across : YOU
50. See 10-Across : NEED IS LOVE
John Lennon wrote the 1967 Beatles hit “All You Need Is Love” as a commission for the BBC. It was the UK’s contribution for the first ever global television broadcast, a collaboration between broadcasters from many countries including Britain’s BBC.

16. 2011 animated musical : RIO
“Rio” is a 2011 animated movie about a male blue macaw who is brought to mate with a female blue macaw in Rio de Janeiro, hence the movie’s title. Fans can go see “Rio 2” that was released in 2014.

17. Having come home after curfew : IN LATE
Our word “curfew” comes from an Old French word meaning “cover fire”. In medieval days a bell would be ring in the evenings as a signal to bank the hearths in preparation for sleeping. The intent was to prevent uncontrolled fires starting from fireplaces that were not tended during the night.

21. With 38- and 65-Across, 1977 Billy Joel hit : JUST THE WAY
38. See 1-, 10-, 21- and 26-Across : YOU
65. See 21-Across : ARE
“Just the Way You Are” is a 1977 song written and performed by Billy Joel. It was Joel’s first top-ten record in the US, and really turned around his career.

23. “___ Tu,” 1974 pop hit : ERES
We have a big event across Europe every year called the Eurovision Song Contest. Each nation enters one song in competition with each other, and then voters across the whole continent decide on the winner. That’s how ABBA got their big break when they won in 1974 with “Waterloo”. In 1972, Spain’s entry was “Eres tu” (the Spanish for “You Are”) sung by the band Mocedades. “Eres tu” came second in the competition, but should have won in my humble opinion.

25. “Promoting decent work for all” agcy. : ILO
The ILO (International Labour Organization) is an agency now administered by the UN which was established by the League of Nations after WWI. The ILO deals with important issues such as health and safety, discrimination, child labor and forced labor. The organization was recognized for its work in 1969 when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

26. With 38- and 67-Across, 1970 Sly & the Family Stone hit : I WANT TO TAKE
38. See 1-, 10-, 21- and 26-Across : YOU
67. See 26-Across : HIGHER
Sly and the Family Stone are a rock, funk and soul band from San Francisco that’s still performing today, although their heyday was from 1966 to 1983. They were one of the first rock bands to have a racially integrated lineup, as well as representatives of both sexes.

31. China’s Chiang ___-shek : KAI
Chiang Kai-Shek was the leader of the Nationalist Movement in China right through to the end of WWII. The Nationalists lost out in a Civil War to the Communists backed by the Soviet Union after war, and Chiang Kai-Shek and his government were forced to flee to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek claimed rule over China from Taiwan until his death in 1975.

34. Knaves : ROGUES
We’ve been using “knave” to mean a cad since about 1200, and as an alternative name for the jack in a deck of cards since the mid-1500s. “Knave” comes from the Old English word “cnafa”, a “boy, male servant”.

37. Mad as ___ hen : A WET
Someone described as “mad as a wet hen” is “very angry”.

39. Harem rooms : ODAS
“Oda” is the Turkish word for “room”, and is the name used for a room within a harem in the days of the Ottoman Empire. We use the derivative word “odalisque” for “a concubine” or “a chamber girl”.

“Harem” is a Turkish word, derived from the Arabic for “forbidden place”. Traditionally a harem was the female quarters in a household in which a man had more than one wife. Not only wives (and concubines) would use the harem, but also young children and other female relatives. The main point was that no men were allowed in the area.

40. Sawbucks : TEN-SPOTS
“Sawbuck” is slang for a ten dollar bill. The term was applied to the bill as the Roman numeral X (ten) resembles the end of sawhorse.

45. Summer hours on the Atl. coast : EDT
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

48. U.K. neighbor : IRE
The terms “United Kingdom”, “Great Britain” and “England” can sometimes be confused. The official use of “United Kingdom” originated in 1707 with the Acts of Union that declared the countries of England and Scotland as “United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain”. The name changed again with the Acts of Union 1800 that created the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland” (much to the chagrin of most of the Irish population). This was partially reversed in 1927 when the current name was introduced, the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, in recognition of an independent Irish Free State in the south of the island of Ireland. There was much speculation about the future of the UK’s “name” as the referendum on the independence of Scotland loomed in 2014. That discussion died out when the Scots voted to remain part of the UK.

49. ___ facto : IPSO
“Ipso facto” is Latin, meaning “by the fact itself”. Ipso facto describes something that is a direct consequence of particular act, as opposed to something that is the result of some subsequent event. For example, my father was born in Dublin and was an Irish citizen ipso facto. My son was born in California and is an Irish citizen by virtue of being the son of an Irish citizen (“not” ipso facto).

55. Future atty.’s exam : LSAT
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been around since 1948.

62. Deadlock : TIE
A “deadlock” is a standstill, a stalemate. The suggestion is that the term was coined in the 1779 play called “The Critic”, from the pen of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

63. Color akin to turquoise : TEAL
The beautiful color of teal takes it name from the duck called a “teal”, which has dark greenish-blue (teal) markings on its head and wings.

64. Iran-___ affair : CONTRA
The Iran-Contra affair (also called “Irangate”) came to light in 1986. The “Iran” part of the scandal was the sale of arms to Iran by the Reagan administration, initially to facilitate the release of US hostages. This was done in secret because there was a US arms embargo in place against Iran. The “Contra” part of the scandal arose when the man in charge of the operation, Oliver North, took funds from the arms sales and funneled the cash to the Contra militants who were fighting to topple the government of Nicaragua from their base in neighboring Honduras.

Down
1. Spring bloom : IRIS
Iris is a genus of flowering plants that come in a wide variety of flower colors. The term “iris” is a Greek word meaning “rainbow”.

3. Jennifer of “The King’s Speech” : EHLE
Jennifer Ehle is a favorite actress of mine, an American actress who is noted for playing English characters. Most famously, Ehle played Elizabeth Bennett opposite Colin Firth’s D’Arcy in the fabulous 1995 BBC production of “Pride and Prejudice”. Ehle and Firth began a romantic relationship during the filming of the Jane Austen novel. Years later, the couple worked together again, for the film “The King’s Speech”.

“The King’s Speech” is a wonderful, wonderful 2010 film about King George VI and his efforts to overcome his speech impediment. Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter all do fabulous jobs playing the lead characters. It is an independent film, so was made with a relatively low budget of $15 million, but grossed almost $400 million at box offices worldwide. “The King’s Speech” is the most successful British independent film of all time.

4. Post breakfast cereal : GRAPE-NUTS
C. W. Post decided to get into the cereal business after visiting the Battle Creek Sanitarium operated by John Harvey Kellogg. Post was interested in the chemistry of digestion and was inspired by the dietary products offered by Kellogg at his sanitarium. The first breakfast cereal Post introduced was Grape-Nuts, way back in 1897.

6. New York team that plays its home games in New Jersey : THE JETS
Just like the New York Giants, the New York Jets are based in New Jersey, headquartered in Florham Park. The Jets and the Giants have a unique arrangement in the NFL in that the two teams share Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets were an AFL charter team, formed in 1959 as the Titans of New York. The Titans changed their name to the Jets in 1963.

9. 1950 best seller subtitled “Across the Pacific by Raft” : KON-TIKI
The Kon-Tiki was a raft used by Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to cross the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The original raft used in the voyage is on display in the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway (Heyerdahl was a native of Norway).

11. Wertmüller who directed “The Seduction of Mimi” : LINA
Lina Wertmüller was an Italian movie director of Swiss descent. Wertmüller was the first woman ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for directing, in 1976 for her film “Seven Beauties”.

12. Lethargic : LOGY
Something or someone that is “logy” is dull and heavy. “Logy” might come from the Dutch word “log” that means “heavy, dull”.

15. Gustav whose music was banned by the Nazis : MAHLER
I’m still trying to keep an open mind when it comes to the music of Gustav Mahler, but I find it hard to appreciate. Mahler was an Austrian composer, active in the late-Romantic period. During his own lifetime he was most notable as a conductor, and his compositions gained in popularity only after his death in 1911. Mahler’s music was banned as “degenerate” during the Nazi Era, as Mahler was Jewish.

19. Barack Obama, astrologically : LEO
Despite rumors to the contrary, I am pretty sure that Barack Hussein Obama II was indeed born in Hawaii. President Obama was born on August 4, 1961 (he’s a Leo!) at Kapi’olani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the first president to have been born outside of the continental US.

22. Soldiers’ support grp. : USO
The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of FDR “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.

30. Youth sports org. : AAU
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sponsors the AAU Junior Olympic Games, an annual competition held in different cities across the United States, starting in Washington D.C. in 1967, and most recently in Des Moines, Iowa in 2009.

31. Instamatic company : KODAK
Kodak introduced its line of Instamatic cameras in 1963. Instamatics were so easy to use that the term is erroneously applied sometimes today to any point-and-shoot camera.

32. Classic violinmaker : AMATI
The first of the Amati family to make violins was Andrea Amati, who lived in the 14th century. He was succeeded by his sons, Antonio and Girolamo. In turn, they were succeeded by Girolamo’s son, Nicolo. Nicolo had a few students who achieved fame making musical instruments as well. One was his own son, Girolamo, and another was the famed Antonio Stradivari.

33. “Hedda Gabler” playwright : IBSEN
“Hedda Gabler” is a play by the great Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, first published in 1890. Considered one of the greatest theater roles, the title character of Hedda Gabler is sometimes referred to as “the female Hamlet”.

38. Pay stub initialism : YTD
Year-to-date (YTD)

42. Simple ragtime dance : ONE-STEP
Ragtime music was at the height of it popularity in the early 1900s. It takes its name from its characteristic “ragged” rhythms. The most famous ragtime composer was Scott Joplin, who had a big hit with his “Maple Leaf Rag” when it was published in 1899. He followed that up with a string of hits, including the “Pine Apple Rag” (sic). Ragtime fell out of favor about 1917 when the public turned to jazz. It had a resurgence in the forties when jazz musicians started to include ragtime tunes in their repertoires. But it was the 1973 movie “The Sting” that brought the true revival, as the hit soundtrack included numerous ragtime tunes by Scott Joplin, including the celebrated “The Entertainer” originally published in 1902.

44. Its govs. have included Mario and Andrew Cuomo : NYS
Mario Cuomo was Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994. I well remember Mario Cuomo’s keynote address to the 1984 Democratic National Convention soon after I moved to America. For a new immigrant it was an interesting glimpse into American politics. Here’s a little bit of trivia about Mario Cuomo: he was the first ever guest for Larry King on his CNN talk show “Larry King Live”, back in 1985. Cuomo passed away in January 2015 at the age of 82.

Andrew Cuomo won the gubernatorial election for the State of New York in 2010. Andrew is the son of former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo. Andrew was also married for 13 years to Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy.

47. “6 Rms ___ Vu” (1972 play) : RIV
“6 Rms Riv Vu” is a play by Bob Randall that premiered in 1972. The title is real-estate shorthand for “six rooms with river view”, in this case a view of the Hudson River in Manhattan.

50. Silent screen vamp Naldi : NITA
Nita Naldi was a silent film actress from New York City who usually played a “femme fatale” type of role.

53. Shakespearean king : LEAR
Shakespeare was inspired to write his famous drama “King Lear” by the legend of “Leir of Britain”, the story of a mythological Celtic king.

54. Air France hub : ORLY
Orly is on the outskirts of Paris, to the south of the city. It is home to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. That said, Orly is home to more domestic flights than Charles de Gaulle.

Air France is my favorite airline (okay … after Aer Lingus, the Irish airline). I used to fly Air France a lot (I lived in France for a while), but haven’t done so since the company merged with KLM in 2004.

56. Rogen of “The Interview” : SETH
“The Interview” is a 2014 comedy film co-directed by and co-starring Seth Rogen. In the movie, Rogen and fellow star James Franco play journalists who are instructed by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a scheduled interview. The film created a huge controversy when the government of North Korea threatened retaliation should the film be released. Sony arranged for a limited release in cinemas, but made it readily available for online rental and purchase. “The Interview” has made more money for Sony than any other digital release.

61. Polynesian dish : POI
The corm of some taro plants is used to make poi, the traditional Hawaiian dish (that I think tastes horrible). When a taro plant is grown as an ornamental, it is often called Elephant Ears due to the shape of its large leaves.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. With 38- and 46-Across, 1966 4 Seasons hit : I’VE GOT
7. Popular game? : ELK
10. With 38- and 50-Across, 1967 Beatles hit : ALL
13. Enthusiastic : RAH-RAH
14. Scope : ROOM
16. 2011 animated musical : RIO
17. Having come home after curfew : IN LATE
18. “Go on, git!” : RUN ALONG!
20. Percolate : SEEP
21. With 38- and 65-Across, 1977 Billy Joel hit : JUST THE WAY
23. “___ Tu,” 1974 pop hit : ERES
25. “Promoting decent work for all” agcy. : ILO
26. With 38- and 67-Across, 1970 Sly & the Family Stone hit : I WANT TO TAKE
31. China’s Chiang ___-shek : KAI
34. Knaves : ROGUES
35. Producer of many parts : HAIR COMB
37. Mad as ___ hen : A WET
38. See 1-, 10-, 21- and 26-Across : YOU
39. Harem rooms : ODAS
40. Sawbucks : TEN-SPOTS
43. Not learned : INNATE
45. Summer hours on the Atl. coast : EDT
46. See 1-Across : UNDER MY SKIN
48. U.K. neighbor : IRE
49. ___ facto : IPSO
50. See 10-Across : NEED IS LOVE
55. Future atty.’s exam : LSAT
59. Phony : IMPOSTER
60. Each : APIECE
62. Deadlock : TIE
63. Color akin to turquoise : TEAL
64. Iran-___ affair : CONTRA
65. See 21-Across : ARE
66. Be nosy : PRY
67. See 26-Across : HIGHER

Down
1. Spring bloom : IRIS
2. Barn topper : VANE
3. Jennifer of “The King’s Speech” : EHLE
4. Post breakfast cereal : GRAPE-NUTS
5. Cereal grain : OAT
6. New York team that plays its home games in New Jersey : THE JETS
7. Makes a wrong turn : ERRS
8. Oaf : LOUT
9. 1950 best seller subtitled “Across the Pacific by Raft” : KON-TIKI
10. Sequentially, after “in” : A ROW
11. Wertmüller who directed “The Seduction of Mimi” : LINA
12. Lethargic : LOGY
15. Gustav whose music was banned by the Nazis : MAHLER
19. Barack Obama, astrologically : LEO
22. Soldiers’ support grp. : USO
24. Delivery person’s assignment: Abbr. : RTE
26. Raging : IRATE
27. Knocked the socks off : WOWED
28. Secret ___ : AGENT
29. Not only that one : THOSE
30. Youth sports org. : AAU
31. Instamatic company : KODAK
32. Classic violinmaker : AMATI
33. “Hedda Gabler” playwright : IBSEN
36. Giving a pat on the back, say : CONSOLING
38. Pay stub initialism : YTD
41. Type not susceptible to compromise : PURIST
42. Simple ragtime dance : ONE-STEP
43. Bring formal charges against : IMPEACH
44. Its govs. have included Mario and Andrew Cuomo : NYS
47. “6 Rms ___ Vu” (1972 play) : RIV
48. When repeated, reply to “Who wants dessert?” : I DO!
50. Silent screen vamp Naldi : NITA
51. Arab chief : EMIR
52. Dueler’s sword : EPEE
53. Shakespearean king : LEAR
54. Air France hub : ORLY
56. Rogen of “The Interview” : SETH
57. Real estate unit : ACRE
58. Inflatable dinghy concern : TEAR
61. Polynesian dish : POI

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