0806-15 New York Times Crossword Answers 6 Aug 15, Thursday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Gary Cee
THEME: Answer by Answer … today’s themed answers come in pairs, one BY the other in the grid, placed side by side. The resulting phrase takes the form “answer” BY “answer”.

3D. With 14-Down, literally, grueling initiation : BAPTISM (by FIRE)
14D. See 3-Down : FIRE

22D. With 27-Down, literally, a Sixth Amendment right : TRIAL (by JURY)
27D. See 22-Down : JURY

35D. With 36-Down, literally, beyond rational explanation : AS IF (by MAGIC)
36D. See 35-Down : MAGIC

52D. With 42-Down, literally, control completely : LEAD (by THE NOSE)
42D. See 52-Down : THE NOSE

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 16s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

9. About : IN RE
The term “in re” is Latin, derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to”, or “in the matter of”.

13. “Hymne à l’Amour” singer : PIAF
“La Môme Piaf” (the little sparrow) was the nickname of France’s most famous singer, Édith Piaf. What a voice this woman had, and what gorgeous ballads she sang. Édith Piaf lived a life that was not without controversy. She was raised by her mother in a brothel in Normandy, and had a pimp as a boyfriend in her teens. She had one child, while very young, born illegitimately and who died at 2-years-old from meningitis. Her singing career started when she was discovered in the Pigalle area of Paris by nightclub owner Louis Leplée. Leplée was murdered soon after, and Piaf was accused of being an accessory to the murder but was later acquitted. During World War II she was branded a traitor by many as she frequently performed for the German occupying forces, although there are other reports of her supporting the resistance movement. Later in her life she was seriously injured in no less than three, near-fatal car accidents, including one with her friend, Charles Aznavour. While recovering from her injuries she became addicted to pain medication, an addiction that lasted for the rest of her life. When she died in 1963 she was denied a Catholic funeral mass because of her lifestyle, but the crowds that turned out for her funeral procession managed to stop all traffic in Paris, the only time that has happened since the end of WWII.

The song “Hymne à l’amour” was first recorded by Édith Piaf in 1950, with Piaf writing the lyrics herself. The title translates from French as “Hymn to Love”, and was written by Piaf to the love of her life, boxing champion Marcel Cerdan. Sadly, soon after the song was written, Cerdan was killed in a plane crash while travelling from New York to be with Piaf in Paris.

15. Worshiper of Jah, informally : RASTA
I must admit that I don’t really understand Rastafarianism. I do know that a “Rasta”, like Bob Marley, is a follower of the movement. Some say that Rastafarianism is a religion, some not. I also know that it involves the worship of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

“Jah” is a shortened form of “Jehovah”, and is a name often associated with the Rastafari movement.

17. Relative of an ibex : ALPINE GOAT
Ibex is a common name for various species of mountain goat. “Ibex” is a Latin name that was used for wild goats found in the Alps and Apennines in Europe.

19. Letters before :// : HTTP
“http” are the first letters in most Internet links. “http” stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol.

20. Prized instrument, for short : STRAD
Generations of the Stradivari family produced violins, the most famous of which were constructed by Antonio Stradivari.

23. One with perfect pitch? : ACE
In the world of baseball, the term “ace” is used for a team’s best starting pitcher. Typically, an ace will pitch on Opening Day, the first day of the regular season.

24. Delivered a pitch : SPIELED
A spiel is a lengthy speech or argument designed to persuade, like a sales pitch. “Spiel” comes to us from German, either directly (“spiel” is the German for “play”) or via the Yiddish “shpil”.

26. The Night Tripper of music : DR JOHN
Dr. John, the Night Tripper is the stage name of singer, pianist and guitarist Mac Rebennack from New Orleans.

28. Volkswagen model starting in 2006 : EOS
Volkswagen introduced the EOS in 2006 as the successor to the Golf Cabriolet.

29. 1492, e.g., to Cristóbal Colón : ANO
In Spanish, the year (el año) starts in January (enero) and ends in December (diciembre).

Christopher Columbus (in Spanish, “Cristóbal Colón”) set off on four voyages of exploration from Spain. The initial intent of the expeditions was to establish an ocean link with the Indian subcontinent, by sailing westward. Columbus reached the Americas instead of India, yet insisted on calling the natives “Indios”, the Spanish word for “Indians”.

30. Three-in-one gods : TRIUNES
A triune is another word for a trinity, three beings in one. The term is often associated with triple deities.

31. Keypad locale : ATM
Automated teller machine (ATM)

32. Counterpart of man-to-man : ZONE
In some team sports, there is a choice between man-to-man defense and zone defense. In the former, each defensive player guards a corresponding player on the other team. In the latter, each defensive player covers a particular “zone” of the playing area.

34. Glacial ridge : ARETE
An arete is ridge of rock defining the border between two parallel valleys that have been formed by glaciation. If this ridge is rounded, it is called a “col”. However if it is “sharpened”, with rock falling way due to successive freezing and thawing, then it is called an “arete”. “Arête“ is the French word for “fish bone”.

38. The Rolling Stones’ “___ Rainbow” : SHE’S A
“She’s a Rainbow” is a 1967 song Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote for the Rolling Stones, and a very “un-Rolling Stones” song it is. It was intended as a satirical piece, and John Lennon claimed that “She’s a Rainbow” imitated the Beatles song ”All You Need Is Love”.

41. ___-European language : INDO
The Indo-European languages are a large group that includes most of the major languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau and South Asia. The Indo-European is the largest grouping of languages in the world.

45. Orbital low point : PERIGEE
In the celestial world, an apsis is a point in an orbit when the orbiting body is at its greatest, or least, distance from it’s center of orbit. The farthest and closest points of orbit are known as the apogee and perigee, when talking about bodies orbiting the Earth. The farthest and closest points for bodies orbiting the sun are known as the aphelion and perihelion.

47. Direct-deposit payment, for short : EFT
Electronic funds transfer (EFT)

49. “Bali ___” : HA’I
The song “Bali Ha’i” is from the musical “South Pacific” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. In the musical, Bali Ha’i is the name of a volcanic island that neighbors the island on which the story takes place.

50. Patron saint of Norway : OLAF II
Of the many kings of Norway named Olaf/Olav (and there have been five), Olaf II is perhaps the most celebrated as he was canonized and made patron saint of the country. Olaf II was king from 1015 to 1028 and was known as “Olaf the Big” (or Olaf the Fat) during his reign. Today he is more commonly referred to as “Olaf the Holy”. After Olaf died he was given the title of Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae, which is Latin for “Norway’s Eternal King”.

51. Cajun or Cockney : DIALECT
The great explorer Verrazzano gave the name “Arcadia” to the coastal land that stretched from north of present day Virginia right up the North American continent to Nova Scotia. The name Arcadia was chosen as it was also the name for a part of Greece that had been viewed as idyllic from the days of classical antiquity. The “Arcadia” name quickly evolved into the word “Acadia” that was used locally here in North America. Much of Acadia was settled by the French in the 1600s, and then in 1710 Acadia was conquered by the British. There followed the French and Indian War after which there was a mass migration of French Acadians, often via the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) to the French colony of Louisiana. The local dialectic pronunciation of the word “Acadian” was “Cajun”, giving the name to the ethnic group for which Louisiana has been home for about 300 years.

A Cockney is someone who, according to tradition, is born within the sound of Bow Bells in the center of London. The Cockney accent is usually considered “working class”. Cockney speakers often use a wonderful form of speech called rhyming slang. So, Cockney’s drink a lot of Rosie Lea (tea), and climb the apples and pears (stairs) using their plates of meat (feet).

53. Co. nicknamed “Brown” : UPS
United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky. UPS is the largest deliverer of packages in the world. The company has the nickname “Brown”, a reference to the color of its delivery trucks and uniforms.

54. Ozone-destroying chemicals, for short : CFCS
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the propellants that were once used in aerosols. CFCs make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). That conversion creates “holes” in the ozone layer. Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC is not good stuff …

57. Davis with a 1988 Oscar : GEENA
As well as being a successful Hollywood actress, Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and came close to qualifying for the US archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Davis is also a member of American Mensa. She is quite the lady …

60. Single-seater racing class : FORMULA ONE
In motor racing, the designation “formula” is a set of rules that all participants and cars must abide by. The definition of “Formula One” was agreed back in 1946, with the “one” designating that it is the most advanced of the “formulae”, and the most competitive.

63. Malta adopted it in 2008 : EURO
Euro coins are issued by all the participating European states. The reverse side is a common design used by all countries, whereas the obverse is a design specific to each nation. For example, the one euro coin issued by Malta features the Maltese Cross. That Maltese euro is legal tender right across the eurozone. And by the way, the Irish euro features a harp.

65. U.S. Army decorations, in brief : DSCS
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest honor awarded to members of the US Army. The DSC is equivalent to the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross.

68. One of many for Argus : EYE
Argus Panoptes is a monster of Greek mythology. “Panoptes” means “all-seeing”, so over time Argus has been described as having many, many eyes. Argus was noted for being alert, always keeping some eyes open when sleeping. This characteristic led to Argus being used for a vigilant person, and has been adopted as the name for many newspapers. After Argus died, Hera transferred his eyes to the tail of the peacock.

Down
1. Certain fraud protector, for short : CPA
Certified public accountant (CPA)

4. Sideboard : CREDENZA
In modern terms, a credenza can be a wooden sideboard in a dining room from which buffet meals can be served. Back in 16th century Italy, the act of “credenza” was the tasting of food and drink by by a servant to test for poison.

5. Common Halloween costume : HAG
“Hag” is a shortened form of the Old English word “haegtesse” meaning, “witch”.

7. Russia’s ___-Tass news service : ITAR
TASS is the abbreviation used for the former news agency that had the full name Telegraph Association of the Soviet Union (Telegrafnoe Agentstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza). When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1992, the Moscow-based agency’s scope changed along with its name. It is now known as the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS).

9. Einstein’s “I” : ICH
“Ich” is the German for “I”, as in “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), the famous words of support uttered by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 in a speech in West Berlin. The supposed translation of “Ich bin ein Berliner” as “I am a jelly doughnut” … that’s just an urban myth. President Kennedy’s use of German was perfectly correct.

11. Toothed wheel : RATCHET
In a ratchet, there’s a rotating gear over which runs a spring-loaded finger, the piece of metal that makes the clicks as the gear rotates. That finger is called a “pawl”.

18. Lion in “The Lion King” : NALA
In “The Lion King”, Nala is a lioness and the childhood friend of Simba.

22D. With 27-Down, literally, a Sixth Amendment right : TRIAL (by JURY)
The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights that deals with an individual’s rights when facing criminal prosecution.

25. Humdinger : DOOZIE
A “humdinger” or a “pip” is someone or something outstanding. Humdinger is American slang dating back to the early 1900s, originally used to describe a particularly attractive woman.

33. Who said “We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection” : 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.

40. Job done with Artgum : ERASURE
An art gum eraser is popular with artists, and is made of soft rubber.

44. Use a tuffet : SIT
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey, in the popular nursery rhyme. A tuffet is a low seat or a footstool, another word for a pouffe or a hassock. When milk curdles it separates into two parts, the solid curds and the liquid whey.

46. Towering Frenchman? : EIFFEL
Gustave Eiffel was the French civil engineer who famously designed the Eiffel Tower.

The Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) of 1900 was held in Paris, France. The 1900 fair is remembered for the magnificent entrance arch that was constructed for visitors. That entrance arch was to remain standing for only nine years, but the city decided to keep it and you can visit it today. Today we call that entrance arch the Eiffel Tower.

48. Far East unit of weight : TAEL
The Far Eastern measurement known as a tael is used to weigh out precious metals as well as herbal medicines.

55. Sundae alternative : CONE
There’s a lot of speculation about how the dessert called a sundae got its name, but there seems to be agreement that it is an alteration of the word “Sunday”.

56. Majorca miss: Abbr. : SRTA
Señorita (Srta.) is Spanish and mademoiselle (Mlle.) is French for “Miss”.

The Island of Majorca (“Isla Mallorca” in Spanish) is Spain’s largest island, and is located in the Mediterranean Sea. The population of the island ballooned over the past few decades as Majorca became a mecca for tourists from all over Europe.

59. “Batman” fight scene word : POW!
The television show “Batman” aired from 1966-1968. Burt Ward played Robin opposite Adam West’s Batman. Supposedly, Burt Ward was offered the part taken by Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate”, but Ward couldn’t get out of his contract for the “Batman” television series. Holy xxxx, Batman!

61. “Bonjour, ___ amis!” : MES
“Bonjour, mes amis” is French for “Hello, my friends”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Part of a harvest festival decoration : COB
4. It has legs and feet and sometimes arms, but no hands : CHAIR
9. About : IN RE
13. “Hymne à l’Amour” singer : PIAF
15. Worshiper of Jah, informally : RASTA
16. Soft-soap : COAX
17. Relative of an ibex : ALPINE GOAT
19. Letters before :// : HTTP
20. Prized instrument, for short : STRAD
21. Stress (over) : FRET
23. One with perfect pitch? : ACE
24. Delivered a pitch : SPIELED
26. The Night Tripper of music : DR JOHN
28. Volkswagen model starting in 2006 : EOS
29. 1492, e.g., to Cristóbal Colón : ANO
30. Three-in-one gods : TRIUNES
31. Keypad locale : ATM
32. Counterpart of man-to-man : ZONE
34. Glacial ridge : ARETE
35. To everyone’s surprise : AMAZINGLY
38. The Rolling Stones’ “___ Rainbow” : SHE’S A
41. ___-European language : INDO
42. Sports bar array : TVS
45. Orbital low point : PERIGEE
47. Direct-deposit payment, for short : EFT
49. “Bali ___” : HA’I
50. Patron saint of Norway : OLAF II
51. Cajun or Cockney : DIALECT
53. Co. nicknamed “Brown” : UPS
54. Ozone-destroying chemicals, for short : CFCS
57. Davis with a 1988 Oscar : GEENA
58. First course, sometimes : SOUP
60. Single-seater racing class : FORMULA ONE
63. Malta adopted it in 2008 : EURO
64. Gain admission : ENTER
65. U.S. Army decorations, in brief : DSCS
66. Mutton ___ : STEW
67. Many a one-year agreement : LEASE
68. One of many for Argus : EYE

Down
1. Certain fraud protector, for short : CPA
2. Garage stain : OIL SPOT
3. With 14-Down, literally, grueling initiation : BAPTISM (by FIRE)
4. Sideboard : CREDENZA
5. Common Halloween costume : HAG
6. Starting : AS OF
7. Russia’s ___-Tass news service : ITAR
8. Containing sex scenes, say : RATED-R
9. Einstein’s “I” : ICH
10. Zero : NOT A ONE
11. Toothed wheel : RATCHET
12. Budget item : EXPENSE
14. See 3-Down : FIRE
18. Lion in “The Lion King” : NALA
22. With 27-Down, literally, a Sixth Amendment right : TRIAL (by JURY)
24. Beach abutter : SEA
25. Humdinger : DOOZIE
27. See 22-Down : JURY
30. Watched : TENDED
33. Who said “We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection” : NIN
35. With 36-Down, literally, beyond rational explanation : AS IF (by MAGIC)
36. See 35-Down : MAGIC
37. “How about that?!” : GO FIGURE!
38. Other halves, so to speak : SPOUSES
39. Pitch in : HELP OUT
40. Job done with Artgum : ERASURE
42. See 52-Down : THE NOSE
43. Room to spare? : VACANCY
44. Use a tuffet : SIT
46. Towering Frenchman? : EIFFEL
48. Far East unit of weight : TAEL
52. With 42-Down, literally, control completely : LEAD (by THE NOSE)
55. Sundae alternative : CONE
56. Majorca miss: Abbr. : SRTA
59. “Batman” fight scene word : POW!
61. “Bonjour, ___ amis!” : MES
62. Compass dir. : ESE

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