0530-15 New York Times Crossword Answers 30 May 15, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Samuel A. Donaldson & Brad Wilber
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 21m 49s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

9. Like TV’s Dr. Richard Kimble, famously : FRAMED
If you recall the beginning of each episode of “The Fugitive” television series, there was a narration that summarized the background to the show. It started off “The Fugitive, a QM Production — starring David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble: an innocent victim of blind justice, falsely convicted for the murder of his wife …” Those words were read by actor William Conrad, who made a name for himself in his detective series playing the portly “Cannon”.

16. Spectator who got a standing O at Wimbledon in 1981 : LADY DI
Charles, Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The wedding was a huge television event, with about 750 million people tuning in worldwide. Although the event was billed as a fairytale wedding, the couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.

17. Mushroom layer of a beef Wellington : DUXELLES
“Duxelles” is a mixture of chopped mushrooms, onions, shallots and herbs that have been sauteed and then reduced to a paste. I am a huge, huge fan of duxelles …

18. Quintessential : ICONIC
In Ancient Greece, Aristotle believed that there was a fifth element, beyond the accepted four elements of earth, wind, fire and water. This fifth element he called aether, postulating it was the makeup of celestial bodies. In Middle French in the 14th century, the “fifth element” was called “quinte essence”, coming into English as “quintessence’ in the early 15th century. In the late 1500s, quintessence came to mean “purest essence” in a more general sense, with quintessential meaning “at it’s finest”.

25. Danger in stories of Sinbad the sailor : ROC
The mythical roc is a huge bird of prey, reputedly able to carry off and eat elephants. The roc was said to come from the Indian subcontinent. The supposed existence of the roc was promulgated by Marco Polo in the accounts that he published of his travels through Asia.

Sinbad is the hero of a set of fictional tales from the Middle East. Sinbad comes from the port city of Basra and had fantastic adventures on voyages throughout the sea east of Africa and south of Asia.

31. Where most occupants need masks, for short : ORS
Operating room (OR)

36. Pirates’ place : DIAMOND
The Pittsburgh Pirates (nicknamed the Bucs or Buccos) joined baseball’s National League in 1887 just six years after the league was formed. The Pirates played in the first ever World Series in 1903, and won their first World Series in 1909.

38. Trademark Isaac Asimov accessory : BOLO TIE
In his latter years, the author Isaac Asimov was known for an eccentric “look”. He sported bushy mutton-chop whiskers and frequently wore a bolo tie and cowboy boots.

Isaac Asimov was a wonderful science fiction writer, and a professor of biochemistry. He was a favorite author as I was growing up and I must admit that some hero worship on my part led me to study and work as a biochemist for a short while early in my career. My favorite of his works is the collection of short stories called “I, Robot”. Asimov wrote three autobiographies, the last of which was called “I, Asimov”, which was published in 1994, two years after his death.

45. Annual Vancouver event, familiarly : TED
The acronym TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. TED is a set of conferences held around the world (the main event held in Vancouver) by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”.

50. Gets the lead out, quaintly : HIES
“To hie” is to move quickly, to bolt.

59. Layette item : ONESIE
A “onesie” is a baby’s bodysuit, and is a common gift at a baby shower.

A newborn baby’s collection of clothing and accessories is called a layette.

62. “Das Kapital” topic : LABORERS
“Das Kapital” (entitled “Capital” in English versions) is a book about political economy written by Karl Marx, first published in 1867. The book is in effect an analysis of capitalism, and proffers the opinion that capitalism relies on the exploitation of workers. Marx concludes that the profits from capitalist concerns come from the underpaying of labor.

Down
1. Footwear donned on camera by Mr. Rogers : KEDS
Keds is a brand name of athletic shoe first introduced in 1916 by US Rubber. The shoe was originally marketed as a rubber-soled, canvas-topped sneaker.

The “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” TV show starred Fred Rogers. It was the second longest running series on PBS television after that other iconic children’s show “Sesame Street”.

3. Onetime Strom Thurmond designation : DIXIECRAT
Dixiecrats were members of the States’ Rights Democratic Party, a segregationist group that was disbanded after only a few months of activity, in 1948. The Dixiecrats were a breakaway faction from the Democratic Party. The Dixiecrat party platform was centered around States’ rights, racial segregation and white supremacy.

Strom Thurmond was a US Senator for the state of South Carolina for 48 years, until he stepped down in 2003. Thurmond was the oldest-serving senator in US history. He retired from his office at the age of 100-years-old, and passed away just a few months after leaving Washington.

4. Comics pet in a horned helmet : SNERT
Snert is the clever dog that belongs to Hägar the Horrible in the classic comic strip.

5. Rows : MELEES
Our word “melee” comes from the French “mêlée”, and in both languages the word means “confused fight”.

6. The bigger picture: Abbr. : ENL
Enlargement (enl.)

7. TV honor last presented in 1997 : ACE AWARD
The ACE Awards were instituted in 1978, with the acronym standing for “Award for Cable Excellence”. The name of the award was later changed to the Cable ACE Award, and honored excellence in cable television programming. The award was abandoned after the 1997 ceremony as recognition of cable programming at the Emmys made a separate cable TV award redundant.

8. Newsman Holt and others : LESTERS
Lester Holt is a television journalist. Holt is anchor for the weekend editions of the shows “Today” and “Nightly News” on NBC, as well as the show “Dateline NBC”.

9. Noted employee of Slate : FLINTSTONE
In “The Flintstone” animated TV show, Fred Flintstone operates a bronto-crane at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company, which is owned by Fred’s boss Mr. Slate.

12. Winged mimics : MYNAS
Some species of myna (also “mynah”) bird are known for their ability to imitate sounds.

13. Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt : EDITH
Edith Carow was the second wife of Theodore Roosevelt and the First Lady of the US when President Roosevelt was in office. Theodore’s first wife was Alice Hathaway Lee who died two days after the birth of their daughter in 1884. Roosevelt proposed to Carow in 1885 and the couple were married in 1886. Carow survived her husband, who died in 1919. The former First Lady briefly came out of retirement during the 1932 presidential election to campaign for President Herbert Hoover, which put Edith in opposition to her cousin-in-law Franklin D. Roosevelt.

21. Class in which students raise their hands, briefly? : ASL
It’s really quite unfortunate that American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) are very different, and someone who has learned to sign in one cannot understand someone signing in the other.

28. Corset-making tool : AWL
I guess one might use an awl to make holes in the whalebone that often is incorporated into corsets.

A corset is a close-fitting undergarment that is stiffened with a material such as whalebone. Corsets are more usually worn by women, to shape the body. The word “corset” is a diminutive of the Old French “cors” meaning “body”.

40. “The Principles of Mathematics” philosopher : RUSSELL
Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, a noted liberal and outspoken pacifist.

43. Org. conducting lots of X-rays : TSA
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks. TSA personnel carry out the baggage and body searches at US airports.

44. U.P.S. label phrase : SHIP TO
United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky.

47. 1959 #2 hit whose flip side was “La Bamba” : DONNA
The 1958 single “Donna” by Ritchie Valens is one of those A-sides that was outshone by the record’s B-side, which in this case was “La Bamba”. “Donna” was written as a tribute ot Valens’ high school sweetheart Donna Ludwig.

53. New York county on the Canadian border : ERIE
Erie County lies just west of Wyoming County in New York State. Erie County is home to the city of Buffalo, and sits right on the shores of lake Erie.

58. Kind of port : USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard dealing with how computers and electronic devices connect and communicate, and deal with electrical power through those connections.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. It may facilitate playing with one’s food : KIDS’ MEAL
9. Like TV’s Dr. Richard Kimble, famously : FRAMED
15. Prestige : EMINENCE
16. Spectator who got a standing O at Wimbledon in 1981 : LADY DI
17. Mushroom layer of a beef Wellington : DUXELLES
18. Quintessential : ICONIC
19. Point made by architects : SPIRE
20. “Whatever the case …” : AT ANY RATE …
22. Throw a party for : FETE
23. What was due for some pioneers? : WEST
24. Like spent charcoal : ASHY
25. Danger in stories of Sinbad the sailor : ROC
26. Addresses with bared teeth : SNARLS AT
29. Has things reversed, maybe : ERRS
31. Where most occupants need masks, for short : ORS
32. Soft-serve ice cream requests : TWISTS
36. Pirates’ place : DIAMOND
38. Trademark Isaac Asimov accessory : BOLO TIE
39. Mammals that congregate in groups called “rafts” : OTTERS
40. Was yellow, say : RAN
41. April, May or June : NAME
42. Heads for the garden? : LETTUCES
45. Annual Vancouver event, familiarly : TED
46. Recipient of 11-Down : IDOL
49. No. 2 : ASST
50. Gets the lead out, quaintly : HIES
52. Chalked warning left for custodial staff : DON’T ERASE
54. Relative position? : IN-LAW
56. Business reply card, e.g. : INSERT
57. Prone to tantrums : ERUPTIVE
59. Layette item : ONESIE
60. Showed interest, in a way : LISTENED
61. Count : MATTER
62. “Das Kapital” topic : LABORERS

Down
1. Footwear donned on camera by Mr. Rogers : KEDS
2. Volunteer’s assurance : I’M UP FOR IT
3. Onetime Strom Thurmond designation : DIXIECRAT
4. Comics pet in a horned helmet : SNERT
5. Rows : MELEES
6. The bigger picture: Abbr. : ENL
7. TV honor last presented in 1997 : ACE AWARD
8. Newsman Holt and others : LESTERS
9. Noted employee of Slate : FLINTSTONE
10. Salacious : RACY
11. Something shown to 46-Acrosses : ADORATION
12. Winged mimics : MYNAS
13. Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt : EDITH
14. Full of risk : DICEY
21. Class in which students raise their hands, briefly? : ASL
25. Overhaul : REDO
27. Really bad idea : NONSTARTER
28. Corset-making tool : AWL
30. Informal gauge of credibility : SMELL TEST
33. Where you might lose an hour : STATE LINE
34. It might gain you an hour : TIMESAVER
35. Germ : SEED
37. It’s targeted for extraction : ORE
38. Cultured ones? : BACTERIA
40. “The Principles of Mathematics” philosopher : RUSSELL
43. Org. conducting lots of X-rays : TSA
44. U.P.S. label phrase : SHIP TO
46. Burn the midnight oil, e.g. : IDIOM
47. 1959 #2 hit whose flip side was “La Bamba” : DONNA
48. Earliest symptoms : ONSET
51. Consign to a time capsule, say : INTER
53. New York county on the Canadian border : ERIE
55. Gains a 54-Across : WEDS
58. Kind of port : USB

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