1104-15 New York Times Crossword Answers 4 Nov 15, Wednesday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. *Event in “Cinderella” : BALL (giving “ball game”)
The folk tale about “Cinderella” was first published by French author Charles Perrault in 1697. The storyline of the tale may date back as far as the days of Ancient Greece. A common alternative title to the story is “The Little Glass Slipper”.

13. Mishmash : OLIO
“Olio” is a term meaning a hodgepodge or a mixture, coming from the mixed stew of the same name. The stew in turn takes its name from the Spanish “olla”, the clay pot used for cooking.

14. Branch of Islam : SHIA
The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidant Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favoured the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.

15. Nut with a cupule : ACORN
A cupule is that “cup” on the base of the acorn, in which the nut sits.

16. Sumerian king in an ancient epic : GILGAMESH
The “Epic of Gilgamesh” is an epic poem from Mesopotamia. It is one of the earliest known works of literature that has survived. Fragments of the first version of the epic date back to the 18th century BC.

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

23. One of Seuss’s Star-Bellies : SNEETCH
Dr. Seuss’s “The Sneetches and Other Stories” was first published in 1961. The collection comprises four stories in all: “The Sneetches”, “The Zax”, “Too Many Daves” and “What Was I Scared Of?”

25. Old World Style sauce brand : RAGU
The Ragú brand of pasta sauce is owned by Unilever. The name ” Ragù” is the Italian word for a sauce used to dress pasta, however the spelling is off a little. In Italian the word is “Ragù” with a grave accent over the “u”, but if you look at a jar of the Unilever sauce, it is spelled “Ragú” on the label, with an acute accent. Sometimes I think we just don’t try …

32. Storm locator : RADAR
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.

35. New, in Napoli : NUOVA
Naples (“Napoli” in Italian) is the third largest city in Italy. The name “Napoli” comes from the city’s Ancient Greek name, which translates as “New City”. That’s a bit of a paradox as today Naples is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world.

36. “Agnus ___” : DEI
“Agnus Dei” is Latin for “Lamb of God”, a term used in Christian faiths for Jesus Christ, symbolizing his role as a sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of man.

37. ’60s designer for Jackie : OLEG
Oleg Cassini, the French-born American fashion designer, had two big names particularly associated with his designs. In the sixties he produced the state wardrobe for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and he was also the exclusive designer for Hollywood’s Gene Tierney, who was Cassini’s second wife.

40. Permanent member of the U.N. Security Council : USA
The United Nations Security Council has 15 members, 5 of whom are permanent and who have veto power over any resolution. The 10 non-permanent members are elected into place, and hold their seats for two years. The UN charter requires that authorized representatives of the member nations are always present at UN headquarters so that the Security council can meet at any time. The permanent members are:

– China
– France
– Russia
– United Kingdom
– United States

41. Jackal or coyote : CANID
A canid is a carnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, which includes foxes, wolves, dogs, jackals and coyotes.

42. Like otologists’ tests : AURAL
Otology is a branch of medicine dealing with the ear. The prefix “oto-” means “pertaining to the ear”.

43. Reason to get Tommy John surgery : TORN LIGAMENT
Tommy John surgery (TGS) is a procedure in the ulnar collateral ligament, a thick band of tissue in the elbow, is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The operation is commonly required for athletes, particularly baseball player. The first baseball player to undergo the procedure, in 1974, was Major League pitcher Tommy John, hence the name.

53. Like a doornail, only more so : DEADER
“As dead as a doornail” is one of older expressions, and dates back at least to the 14th century. You might have seen very old doors in castles or old houses that have large studs all over the front in a regular pattern. The studs are the heads of nails driven through the door, originally for strength, but later for decoration. They are “doornails”.

56. Bon ___ : AMI
Bon Ami cleanser was introduced just a few years after Bon Ami soap went to market in 1886. The cleanser was marketed by emphasising its “non-scratch” properties. The label showed a chick coming out of an egg, the idea being that a newly hatched chick hasn’t yet scratched the ground looking for worms and insects.

57. Hilda and Zelda, to TV’s Sabrina : AUNTS
The hit TV show “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” is based on a comic book series of the same name. The title character is played by actress Melissa Joan Hart. Sabrina lives with her two aunts, Hilda and Zelda, who are both 600 years of age. There’s also a cat called Salem, who has magical powers.

59. Trojan War hero of myth : AGAMEMNON
Agamemnon was a figure in Greek mythology, the husband of Helen. When Helen ran off with Paris to Troy, Agamemnon led the united Greek forces in the resulting Trojan War.

61. “Star Wars” droid, for short : ARTOO
Artoo’s proper name is R2-D2. R2-D2 is the smaller of the two famous droids from the “Star Wars” movies. British actor Kenny Baker, who stands just 3 ft 8 ins tall, has been the man inside the R2-D2 droid for all six of the “Star Wars” movies.

63. Together, in music : A DUE
“A due” is a musical term meaning “together”, and literally translates from Italian as “by two”.

65. The Mormon Church, for short : LDS
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often abbreviated to “LDS”, is known colloquially as the Mormon Church.

Down
1. Wade who was five-time A.L. batting champ : BOGGS
Wade Boggs is a former Major League Baseball player, a third baseman who was noted for his hitting ability.

3. French textile city : LILLE
Lille is a large city in the very north of France sitting right on the border with Belgium. The name “Lille” is a derivation of the term “l’isle” meaning “the island”.

4. Where to record a stardate : LOG
The word “logbook” dates back to the days when the captain of a ship kept a daily record of the vessel’s speed, progress etc. using a “log”. A log was a wooden float on a knotted line that was dropped overboard to measure speed through the water.

“Stardates” are fictional dates used in the “Star Trek” universe.

5. Movie with the classic line “Here’s Johnny!” : THE SHINING
“Here’s Johnny!” is a famous line spoken by a crazed Jack Nicholson as he chops through a bathroom door in “The Shining”. The film is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. I haven’t seen the whole movie because I can’t cope with Stephen King stories …

7. “It Had to Be You” lyricist Gus : KAHN
“It Had to Be You” was published in 1924, written by Isham Jones with lyrics written by Gus Kahn. The song has been performed on screen a number of times, including a lovely version by Dooley Wilson (the piano player “Sam”) in “Casablanca”.

9. When mastodons roamed : ICE AGE
Ice ages are periods in the Earth’s history when there are extensive ice sheets present in the northern and southern hemispheres. One might argue that we are still in an ice age that began 2.6 million years ago, as evidenced by the presence of ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica.

Mastodons were large mammals that were related to the modern elephant. Mastodons roamed the forest of North and Central America until they became extinct about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. Their extinction is believed to have come about due to a rapid change in climate.

11. Singing sister of Aretha Franklin : ERMA
Erma Franklin was an R&B and gospel singer. She was the elder sister of Aretha Franklin. Erma toured with Aretha for a while, and even recorded backup vocals on her sister’s big hit “Respect”.

12. Student in Torts or Contracts, most likely : ONE L
“One L” is a name used in general for first year law students.

The word “tort” is a French word meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. Tort law is generally about negligence, when the action of one party causes injury to another but that action falls outside of the scope of criminal law.

21. Like the accent in “crème” : GRAVE
In French, accents over the letter E can be acute (é) or grave (è).

26. Docs’ org. : AMA
American Medical Association (AMA)

28. Egypt/Sudan border region : NUBIA
Nubia is a region shared by Egypt and Sudan that lies along the Nile river. The name “Nubia” comes from the Nuba people who settled in the area in the 4th century.

29. Nobel Prizes, e.g. : GOLD MEDALS
The Peace Prize is the most famous of the five prizes bequeathed by Alfred Nobel. The others are for Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. There is also a Nobel Prize in Economics that is awarded along with the original five, but it is funded separately and is awarded “in memory of Alfred Nobel”. Four of the prizes are awarded by Swedish organizations (Alfred Nobel was a Swede) and so the award ceremonies take place in Stockholm. The Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and that award is presented in Oslo.

30. Crème ___ crème : DE LA
The “crème de la crème” is the elite, the best of the best. The term is French and translates as “cream of the cream”.

31. Flowerpot spot : SILL
A “sill plate” or simply “sill” is an architectural term for a bottom horizontal member to which vertical members are attached. A “window sill” is specific sill plate that is found at the bottom of a window opening.

38. Puppeteer Bil : BAIRD
Bil Baird was a puppeteer whose most famous “partner” was Charlemane, a mangy-maned lion. Baird and Charlemane appeared regularly on the CBS “Morning” show in the fifties.

39. “Swan Lake” attire : TUTU
The word “tutu”, used for a ballet dancer’s skirt, is actually a somewhat “naughty” term. It came into English from French in the early 20th century. The French “tutu” is an alteration of the word “cucu”, a childish word meaning “bottom,” or “backside”.

“Swan Lake” is such a delightfully light and enjoyable ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. “Swan Lake” tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer. The ballet also features Odile, Odette’s “evil twin”. Odile is disguised to look like Odette with the goal of tricking the prince to fall in love with her. In the ballet, the roles of Odette and Odile are played by the same ballerina.

41. The Cavs, on sports tickers : CLE
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970. The team plays at the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, a facility that the locals refer to as “the Q”.

42. Agassi of tennis : ANDRE
Renowned tennis professional Andre Agassi wrote an autobiography called “Open”, published in 2009. An amazing revelation in the book is that Agassi’s famous head of hair was actually a wig for much of his playing career. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to play tennis at his level with a rug stuck on?

44. Trojan War sage : NESTOR
A nestor is a wise old man, named for Nestor, the sage who gives counsel in Homer’s “Iliad”.

48. Black-and-white zoo attraction : PANDA
Taxonomic classification of the giant panda has been a subject of great debate for years, the main question being whether it belongs to the bear or raccoon family. The accepted opinion these days, based on molecular studies, seems to be that the panda is in fact a true bear.

49. One in a tryst : AMOUR
In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting.

51. Car company once owned by G.M. : SAAB
SAAB stands for Svenska Aeroplan AB, which translates into English as Swedish Aeroplane Limited. SAAB was, and still is, mainly an aircraft manufacturer. If you take small hops in Europe you might find yourself on a SAAB passenger plane. The SAAB automotive division was acquired by General Motors in the year 2000, who then sold it to a Dutch concern in 2010. However, SAAB (automotive) finally went bankrupt in 2011. A Chinese consortium purchased the assets of SAAB Automotive in 2012, and so SAAB vehicles are in production again. The new vehicles are using the SAAB name, but cannot use the SAAB griffin logo, the rights to which have been retained by the mother company.

52. Prefix with zone or trash : EURO-
The “eurozone” or “euro area” is a monetary and economic union within the European Union of 19 states (as of today) that use the euro as a shared legal tender and their sole currency. The last nation to adopt the euro was Lithuania, in 2015.

“Eurotrash” is a pejorative term used in North America for Europeans who exhibit characteristics deemed unacceptable over here.

54. Rank below marquis : EARL
In the ranking of nobles, an earl comes above a viscount and below a marquis. The rank of earl is used in the British peerage system and is equivalent to the rank of count in other countries. Other British ranks have female forms (e.g. marquis and marchioness, viscount and viscountess), but there isn’t a female word for the rank of earl. A female given the same rank as an earl is known as a countess.

55. Like Gruyère cheese, for 5-12 months : AGED
Gruyère is a hard cheese that is named for the medieval Swiss town of Gruyères. I had the pleasure of visiting Gruyères many years ago, and have very fond memories of stuffing myself with the most delicious fondue made from the local cheese mixed with wine …

60. Bub : MAC
“Bub” is American slang, a term used to address males. “Bub” is possibly a variation of bud.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. *Event in “Cinderella” : BALL (giving “ball game”)
5. Sound of admonishment : TSK!
8. *Watch it! : VIDEO (giving “video game”)
13. Mishmash : OLIO
14. Branch of Islam : SHIA
15. Nut with a cupule : ACORN
16. Sumerian king in an ancient epic : GILGAMESH
18. Self-description after a lifestyle change : NEW ME
19. Shaver’s alternative to cream : GEL
20. In need of a rally, say : LOSING
22. Like a control freak : ANAL
23. One of Seuss’s Star-Bellies : SNEETCH
25. Old World Style sauce brand : RAGU
27. Saying sorry, say : MAKING AMENDS
32. Storm locator : RADAR
35. New, in Napoli : NUOVA
36. “Agnus ___” : DEI
37. ’60s designer for Jackie : OLEG
38. Swearing-in staple : BIBLE
39. Partner of show or kiss : TELL
40. Permanent member of the U.N. Security Council : USA
41. Jackal or coyote : CANID
42. Like otologists’ tests : AURAL
43. Reason to get Tommy John surgery : TORN LIGAMENT
46. Futures analyst? : SEER
47. Finally reach : END UP AT
51. Vast expanses : SEAS
53. Like a doornail, only more so : DEADER
56. Bon ___ : AMI
57. Hilda and Zelda, to TV’s Sabrina : AUNTS
59. Trojan War hero of myth : AGAMEMNON
61. “Star Wars” droid, for short : ARTOO
62. Depend (on) : RELY
63. Together, in music : A DUE
64. *Executive group : BOARD (giving “board game”)
65. The Mormon Church, for short : LDS
66. *Jokester : CARD (giving “card game”)

Down
1. Wade who was five-time A.L. batting champ : BOGGS
2. Very strange : ALIEN
3. French textile city : LILLE
4. Where to record a stardate : LOG
5. Movie with the classic line “Here’s Johnny!” : THE SHINING
6. Pedro’s emphatic assent : SI SI!
7. “It Had to Be You” lyricist Gus : KAHN
8. Relo vehicle : VAN
9. When mastodons roamed : ICE AGE
10. Where “G’day!” is heard : DOWN UNDER
11. Singing sister of Aretha Franklin : ERMA
12. Student in Torts or Contracts, most likely : ONE L
14. Artist’s garb : SMOCK
17. Where some sacrifices are made : ALTAR
21. Like the accent in “crème” : GRAVE
24. Online read : E-MAG
26. Docs’ org. : AMA
28. Egypt/Sudan border region : NUBIA
29. Nobel Prizes, e.g. : GOLD MEDALS
30. Crème ___ crème : DE LA
31. Flowerpot spot : SILL
32. Blowout, as in sports : ROUT
33. “Oh, I almost forgot …” : ALSO …
34. Wish list opener : DEAR SANTA …
38. Puppeteer Bil : BAIRD
39. “Swan Lake” attire : TUTU
41. The Cavs, on sports tickers : CLE
42. Agassi of tennis : ANDRE
44. Trojan War sage : NESTOR
45. “The bad guys” : ENEMY
48. Black-and-white zoo attraction : PANDA
49. One in a tryst : AMOUR
50. Like forks and tridents : TINED
51. Car company once owned by G.M. : SAAB
52. Prefix with zone or trash : EURO-
54. Rank below marquis : EARL
55. Like Gruyère cheese, for 5-12 months : AGED
58. Farm product bought in rolls : SOD
60. Bub : MAC

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