0623-15 New York Times Crossword Answers 23 Jun 15, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jules P. Markey
THEME: Road to Bali … some of today’s themed answers refer to the movie “Road to Bali”. In addition, the grid includes a word ladder that changes ROAD to BALI:

16A. Modern-day genre for the 1952 film whose title is suggested by a word ladder starting at 1-Across : BROMANTIC COMEDY

1A. *”Mad Max: Fury ___” : ROAD
5A. *Prey for a garter snake : TOAD
9A. *”___ you!” (“See?!”) : TOLD
58A. *Brash : BOLD
59A. *Like a treadless tire : BALD
60A. *Exotic getaway spot : BALI

24A. The film’s headliners : HOPE AND CROSBY
40A. The film’s co-star : DOROTHY LAMOUR
52A. Occupations of 24-Across in the film : SONG AND DANCE MEN

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME:9m 39s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. *”Mad Max: Fury ___” : ROAD
2015’s ”Mad Max: Fury Road” is the latest film in the “Mad Max” series, one that was released a full thirty years after the third installment, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”. The title character was played by Mel Gibson in the first three movies, with Tom Hardy taking over for the fourth film. I must admit, I’m not a “Mad Max” fan …

5. *Prey for a garter snake : TOAD
The garter snake is found right across the continent, It is in fact the most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America, being found anywhere from the Southeast Alaska to Central America.

14. ___ Reader : UTNE
The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. The “Utne Reader” was founded in 1984, with “Utne” being the family name of the couple that started the publication.

16. Modern-day genre for the 1952 film whose title is suggested by a word ladder starting at 1-Across : BROMANTIC COMEDY
A “bromance” is the name given these days to a close relationship between two straight males.

19. “I know what you’re thinking” ability : ESP
Extrasensory perception (ESP)

21. Cries after a good sermon : AMENS
The word “amen” is translated as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is likely to be also influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

Our word “sermon” comes from the Latin “sermonem” meaning “discourse, talk”. The literal translation of “sermonem” is “a stringing together of words”, from the Latin “serere” meaning “to join”, as in the related word “series”.

22. Bobby with a #4 jersey : ORR
Bobby Orr is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. By the time he retired in 1978 he had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries. At 31 years of age, he concluded that he just couldn’t skate anymore. Reportedly, he was even having trouble walking …

24. The film’s headliners : HOPE AND CROSBY
I remember my first non-business visit to Los Angeles. I was a typical tourist and bought a map showing the homes of the stars and drove around Beverly Hills absorbing all the glitz. At one point I drove past a Rolls Royce that was stopped in oncoming traffic, waiting to make a left turn. The window was down, and the driver was puffing away on a big cigar. It was none other than Bob Hope. Seeing him there right beside me, that was a big thrill …

The singer Bing Crosby was a great lover of the game of golf. Crosby had just finished up 18 holes on a course in Spain in 1977 when he suffered a massive heart attack on the final green. Crosby’s last words were “That was a great game of golf, fellas.”

34. Israeli writer ___ Oz : AMOS
Amos Oz is an Israeli writer. Oz has written 18 books in Hebrew and his works have been translated into 30 languages, including Arabic.

36. Jekyll’s counterpart : HYDE
Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” was first published in 1886. There are many tales surrounding the writing of the story including one that the author wrote the basic tale in just three to six days, and spent a few weeks simply refining it. Allegedly, Stevenson’s use of cocaine stimulated his creative juices during those few days of writing.

38. Big name in health plans : CIGNA
The health care management company known as CIGNA was formed in 1982 by a merger of two insurance companies. One was Connecticut General (CG) and the other Insurance Company of North America (INA).

40. The film’s co-star : DOROTHY LAMOUR
The actress Dorothy Lamour is best known for co-starring in the “Road to …” series of films with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Lamour was born Mary Slaton in New Orleans, and was crowned Miss New Orleans in 1931. She moved to Hollywood in 1936, and starred in her first “Road to …” movie in 1940.

44. Kind of screen for a TV : LCD
Liquid crystal display (LCD)

45. Joust weapon : LANCE
Tilting is the most recognized form of jousting. Jousting can involve the use of a number of different weapons, but when lances are used the competition is called “tilting”. Jousting took place in a roped-off enclosure that was called the lists, or list field. In later medieval times, some castles and palaces had purpose-built “tiltyards” that were used for jousting. London’s famous Horse Guards Parade is the former tiltyard for the Palace of Whitehall that was used in the time of King Henry VIII.

47. Holder of a cabinet position, formerly : ERIC
Eric Holder was the Attorney General of the United States from 2009 to 2015, the first African American to hold the position. Holder was close to President Obama during the presidential campaign. Holder was the campaign’s legal advisor and was also one of the three members on the Obama vice-presidential selection committee, which of course opted for Vice-President Joe Biden.

49. Soprano Sumac : YMA
Yma Sumac was a Peruvian soprano. Sumac had a notable vocal range of five octaves.

56. Actress Falco : EDIE
The actress Edie Falco won three Emmy Awards for playing Carmela Soprano on HBO’s outstanding drama series called “The Sopranos”. Falco also won an Emmy in 2010 for playing the title role in “Nurse Jackie”.

57. Future internist’s exam : MCAT
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

60. *Exotic getaway spot : BALI
Bali is the most important tourist destination in Indonesia and is an island lying east of Java. In recent years, Bali’s tourist industry has been badly hit in the aftermath of two terrorist bombings. The first one, in 2002, killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists in a nightclub.

Down
1. Broccoli ___ : RABE
Broccoli Rabe is perhaps better known as rapini, and is a vegetable often used in Mediterranean cuisines. It is quite delicious sauteed with garlic …

4. ___ Pérignon (Champagne) : DOM
Dom Pérignon is the name given to the prestige label of champagne from Moët et Chandon, the French winery. The label’s name honors the Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon, who helped to improve the quality and production of champagne in the early 18th century. Although Dom Pérignon made major contributions to champagne production, many of the stories in which he figures are just myths. He did not “invent” champagne, nor sparkling wine in general. Nor did he say the famous words, “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!”. That lovely line first appeared in a print advertisement in the late 1800s!

5. Much arctic land : TUNDRA
Tundra is an ecosystem that is treeless, or very nearly so. There are three types of tundra. Arctic and Antarctic tundra can’t support the growth of trees as the ground is pretty much frozen. Alpine tundra cannot support tree-growth due to high altitude.

7. Spanish liqueur : ANIS
Anis is a Spanish liqueur, equivalent to what’s called anisette in other countries (in France, for example). It has a licorice taste as it is produced by distilling the seeds of the anis plant. Like all anis-type drinks, it is usually mixed with water and turns a milky white color when the water is added.

8. Fourth qtr. ender : DEC
December is the twelfth month in our calendar but was the tenth month in the old Roman calendar, hence the name (“decem” is Latin for “ten”). Back then there were only ten months in the year. “Ianuarius” (January) and “Februarius” were then added as the eleventh and twelfth months of the year. Soon after, the year was reset and January and February became the first and second months.

11. Watch readouts, for short : LEDS
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a specialized form of semiconductor that when switched on releases photons (light). LEDs are getting more and more popular and have moved from use in electronic equipment to use as a replacement for the much less efficient tungsten light bulb. I replaced all of my tungsten Xmas lights a few years ago and saved a lot on my electricity bill.

18. Women’s casual pants : CAPRIS
Capri pants first became popular on the island of Capri, apparently. They were invented in Europe in 1948, but only became stylish in the US in the sixties. Mary Tyler Moore often wore Capri pants on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and to some extent she sparked a fashion trend. After a lull in the seventies and eighties there was a resurgence in sales after Uma Thurman wore them (and danced in them) in “Pulp Fiction”. Can’t stand the look of them myself …

25. Maine college town : ORONO
The town of Orono is home to the University of Maine, founded in 1862. The college is actually located on an island (Marsh island) lying between the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers. The town of Orono is named after Joseph Orono, a chief of the Penobscot Nation.

27. Boyle who directed “Slumdog Millionaire” : DANNY
Danny Boyle is a very successful film director from England whose list of directing credits includes “Trainspotting” (1996), “The Beach” (2000), “28 Days Later” (2002) and “Slumdog Millionaire” (2009). Boyle was also the artistic director for opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games held in London in 2012. It was Danny Boyle’s idea to ask Queen Elizabeth II to appear in a cameo in the ceremony, including her apparent parachute jump from a helicopter with James Bond.

28. Louisiana inlet : BAYOU
A bayou is a marshy inlet or outlet of a lake or river, usually with stagnant or slow-moving water.
The exact origins of the term “bayou” is uncertain, but it is thought perhaps to come from the Choctaw (a Native American people from the southeast) word “bayuk”, meaning “small stream”.

29. Wisconsin v. ___ (landmark 1972 Supreme Court case on religious freedom) : YODER
Wisconsin v. Yoder is a 1972 case heard by the US Supreme Court that found Amish children could not be forced by states to attend school past 8th grade. The decision illustrated that a parent’s right to freedom of religion trumped the state’s right to make education compulsory for children.

33. ___ Stark, “Game of Thrones” protagonist : NED
Ned Stark is the protagonist in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel “A Game of Thrones”, although his character doesn’t exactly come out on top by the end of the story. Stark is played by actor Sean Bean in the HBO television adaptation of the novel.

38. Black-and-white : COP CAR
A police car is often referred to by the slang term “black and white”, a reference to the vehicle’s common paint scheme.

45. Batty : LOCO
In Spanish, if one isn’t sane (sano) one might be described as crazy (loco).

The expression “bats in the belfry” meaning “mad, crazy” conjures up images of bats flying around Gothic bell towers, but actually it’s a relatively recent addition to our vernacular. The term is American in origin, and dates back only to the early 1900s. The concept is that someone who is “crazy”, with wild ideas flying around his or her head, can be described as having bats (wild ideas) flying around the belfry (head). The terms “bats” and “batty” originated at the same time, and are clearly derivative.

46. Deep blue dye : ANIL
Anil is another name for the indigo plant, as well as the name for the blue indigo dye that is obtained from it. The color of anil is relatively close to navy blue. The main coloring agent in indigo dye is a crystalline powder called indigotin.

47. Icelandic saga : EDDA
The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century, in Iceland.

49. Workout site, for short : YMCA
The YMCA is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

50. Happy ___ : MEAL
The McDonald’s Happy Meal was introduced in 1977. The Happy Meal was inspired by a selection of food designed in a Guatemalan McDonald’s to suit children that was called “Menu Ronald”.

53. Girl coming out in society : DEB
Deb is short for “debutante”, which translates from French as “female beginner”.

54. Attaché’s bldg. : EMB
Attaché is a French term which literally means “attached”, and is used for a person who is assigned to the administrative staff of some agency or other service. The term is most recognized as it applies to someone assigned to an Ambassador’s staff at an embassy. The word was extended to “attaché case” at the beginning of the twentieth century, meaning a leather case used for carrying papers, perhaps by an attaché at an embassy.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. *”Mad Max: Fury ___” : ROAD
5. *Prey for a garter snake : TOAD
9. *”___ you!” (“See?!”) : TOLD
13. What drives on a parkway and parks on a driveway : AUTO
14. ___ Reader : UTNE
15. Bit of high jinks : CAPER
16. Modern-day genre for the 1952 film whose title is suggested by a word ladder starting at 1-Across : BROMANTIC COMEDY
19. “I know what you’re thinking” ability : ESP
20. They’re said at the altar : I DOS
21. Cries after a good sermon : AMENS
22. Bobby with a #4 jersey : ORR
23. Impressionist : APER
24. The film’s headliners : HOPE AND CROSBY
30. No longer ill : CURED
31. Order room service, say : EAT IN
32. Get an ___ (ace) : A ON
34. Israeli writer ___ Oz : AMOS
35. Start of a very cold temperature : MINUS
36. Jekyll’s counterpart : HYDE
37. Can material : TIN
38. Big name in health plans : CIGNA
39. Called to a calf, say : MOOED
40. The film’s co-star : DOROTHY LAMOUR
43. Many urban homes: Abbr. : APTS
44. Kind of screen for a TV : LCD
45. Joust weapon : LANCE
47. Holder of a cabinet position, formerly : ERIC
49. Soprano Sumac : YMA
52. Occupations of 24-Across in the film : SONG AND DANCE MEN
55. More hazardous, as winter driving conditions : ICIER
56. Actress Falco : EDIE
57. Future internist’s exam : MCAT
58. *Brash : BOLD
59. *Like a treadless tire : BALD
60. *Exotic getaway spot : BALI

Down
1. Broccoli ___ : RABE
2. Partners’ pronoun : OURS
3. Sitting on : ATOP
4. ___ Pérignon (Champagne) : DOM
5. Much arctic land : TUNDRA
6. Man’s name that’s almost a homophone for 13-Across : OTTO
7. Spanish liqueur : ANIS
8. Fourth qtr. ender : DEC
9. Some circus workers : TAMERS
10. Shop sign that may be flipped : OPEN
11. Watch readouts, for short : LEDS
12. Empty, as a well : DRY
15. “You have got to be kidding me!” : COME ON!
17. Was on TV : AIRED
18. Women’s casual pants : CAPRIS
22. Unlocks, in poesy : OPES
23. Real : ACTUAL
24. Sweat-inducing, as weather : HUMID
25. Maine college town : ORONO
26. Barn sounds : NEIGHS
27. Boyle who directed “Slumdog Millionaire” : DANNY
28. Louisiana inlet : BAYOU
29. Wisconsin v. ___ (landmark 1972 Supreme Court case on religious freedom) : YODER
30. Panther or puma : CAT
33. ___ Stark, “Game of Thrones” protagonist : NED
35. Hand warmer : MITTEN
36. What a mechanic works under : HOOD
38. Black-and-white : COP CAR
39. The year 2300 : MMCCC
41. Traveled far and wide : RANGED
42. In a row: Var. : ALINED
45. Batty : LOCO
46. Deep blue dye : ANIL
47. Icelandic saga : EDDA
48. Feature at a horse track : RAIL
49. Workout site, for short : YMCA
50. Happy ___ : MEAL
51. Voting no : ANTI
52. Bro or sis : SIB
53. Girl coming out in society : DEB
54. Attaché’s bldg. : EMB

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