0113-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 13 Jan 16, Wednesday

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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
Solution to today’s New York Times crossword found online at the Seattle Times website
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

CROSSWORD SETTER: Jeremy Newton
THEME: Three Rs … each of today’s themed answers is a pun, sounding like an well-known phrase in which the last word contains THREE letters R (and ends in -RROR). The original phrase has two syllables, and the “punny” answer has just one:

39A. Elementary education … or feature of the last words punned upon in 17-, 29-, 49- and 66-Across : THREE RS

17A. Frost mixed with pebbles? : ROCKY HOAR (from “Rocky Horror”)
29A. Priest getting what’s coming to him? : CLERICAL HEIR (from “clerical error”)
49A. Pond admired from the back porch? : REARVIEW MERE (from “rearview mirror”)
66A. Chiffon mishap? : SHEER TEAR (from “sheer terror”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 11m 05s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Wraps around the subcontinent : SARIS
The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

The Indian Subcontinent is sometimes referred to as the South Asian Subcontinent, South Asia or the Indo-Pak Subcontinent.

6. The Rocksteady 7 genre : SKA
The Rocksteady 7 is a jazz and ska band that was formed in 1992 in New York City. The group describes its music as “Jamaican jazz”.

9. Hermès rival : GUCCI
Gucci was founded in Rome in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Guccio’s son Aldo took over the company after his father’s death in 1953. It was Aldo who established the international presence for the brand and opened the company’s first overseas store, in New York City.

Hermès is a high-end manufacturer of apparel based in Paris. The company was founded in 1837 in Paris, by German immigrant Thierry Hermès.

14. Market not to be bullish in? : CHINA SHOP
The idiom “like a bull in a china shop” has been around since the early 1800s.

16. Courtier who invites Hamlet to a duel : OSRIC
In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, Osric is the courtier that Claudius dispatches to invite Hamlet to participate in a duel.

17. Frost mixed with pebbles? : ROCKY HOAR (from “Rocky Horror”)
The Old English word “har” meant “gray, venerable, old”, and came into English as “hoar” (and later “hoary”) with the same meaning. The term “hoar-frost” dates back to the 13th century, and reflects the similarity of the white feathers of frost to the gray/white of an old man’s beard.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has to have the most devout cult-following of any movie ever made. Famously, fans attending a midnight show of the film will dress up in the outrageous costumes used in the film, and bring props with them. The props bear little relation to the storyline, but a tradition of using certain props in a particular way has been established. For example, at one point a character proposes a toast, and the audience throws toast around the theater. Go figure …

19. Bud in Burgundy : AMI
A male friend in France is “un ami”, and a female friend is “une amie”.

The Burgundy region of France is famous for its wine production. If you’re looking at a label that isn’t translated into English though, you’ll see Burgundy written in French, namely “Bourgogne”.

23. Bad spot for taking prom pictures : ZIT
The slang term “zit”, meaning “a pimple”, came into the language in 1966, but no one seems to know its exact derivation.

33. Don’t do it : TABOO
The word “taboo” was introduced into English by Captain Cook in his book “A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean”. Cook described “tabu” (likely imitative of a Tongan word that he had heard) as something that was both consecrated and forbidden.

36. High on hwys. : DUI
In some states, there is no longer a legal difference between a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). Other states retain that difference, so that by definition a DUI is a lesser offence than a DWI.

37. Title Mr. of literature : 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. Post-operation site, for short : ICU
After being wheeled out of the Operating Room (OR) a patient might spend some time in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

39. Elementary education … or feature of the last words punned upon in 17-, 29-, 49- and 66-Across : THREE RS
The “three Rs” (RRR) are reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.

43. “Y” wearer : ELI
Eli is the nickname for a graduate of Yale University, a term used in honor of the Yale benefactor Elihu Yale.

The Yale Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Yale University. The Yale school mascot is “Handsome Dan”, the Yale bulldog. The Bulldogs’ logo features a bulldog in front of a letter Y.

44. Poet Lazarus : EMMA
Emma Lazarus was a poet from New York City who is best known as the author of an 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus”. “The New Colossus” sits on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, a fitting location given that the title refers to Lady Liberty.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

47. City by the Wasatch Mountains : OGDEN
Ogden, Utah was the first permanent settlement by people of European descent in what is now the state of Utah.

The Wasatch Range is at the western edge of the Rocky Mountains and runs through Utah. “Wasatch” is a Ute word meaning “mountain pass”.

49. Pond admired from the back porch? : REARVIEW MERE (from “rearview mirror”)
A mere is a shallow lake, particularly in England. By definition, a merre is broader than it is deep.

58. Juice drink brand : POM
POM Wonderful is a privately-held company that has been making fruit juice drinks since 2002. The main product line is pomegranate juice, hence the company name.

60. Expected hr. at the airport : ETA
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

63. The Horned Frogs of the N.C.A.A. : TCU
The athletic teams of Texas Christian University (TCU) are known as the TCU Horned Frogs. The Texas horned lizard is known colloquially as the “horned frog”.

64. First name in infamy : ADOLF
The names Adolf (in Germany) and Adolphe (in France) are dying out, with very few babies being given the name since the days of Nazi Germany.

66. Chiffon mishap? : SHEER TEAR (from “sheer terror”)
Chiffon is a light, slightly rough fabric that is very sheer. “Chiffon” is a French term, a diminutive of “chiffe” meaning “rag”.

69. Home of the Imperial Palace : TOKYO
The Tokyo Imperial Palace is a beautiful estate in the center of Tokyo and is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan and many of his family members. It is a relatively large park-like area, featuring a number of moats and bridges. The palace covers about seven and a half square kilometers of prime real estate in the city. During the Japanese property bubble of the eighties, the palace grounds were believed to have been worth more money than all of the real estate in the state of California!

72. Currency unit, briefly : ATM
ATM (Automatic Teller Machine)

Down
3. Poison used on TV’s “Breaking Bad” : RICIN
Ricin is a highly toxic chemical found in the seeds of the castor oil plant. It is so poisonous because it inhibits one of the most basic metabolic processes, the synthesis of protein. One famous use of ricin as a weapon was the assassination of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London in 1978. A agent of the Bulgarian secret police injected a tiny pellet of ricin into his victim’s leg using a modified umbrella.

“Breaking Bad” is a crime drama series that originally aired on AMC from 2008 to 2013. The show was created by Vince Gilligan who had spent many years as producer and writer of “The X-Files”. There is a “Breaking Bad” spin-off show running on AMC called “Better Call Saul” that focuses on the life of lawyer Saul Goodman. I hear that it’s pretty good …

4. Tats : INK
The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”.

6. April weather event : SHOWER
The phenomenon of “April Showers” really applies to the UK and Ireland. Increased occurrence of rain during April is largely due to an annual change in the position of the jet stream.

7. Org. for R.V. lovers : KOA
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was founded in 1962 by Montana businessman Dave Drum, who opened up his first property along the Yellowstone River. His strategy was to offer a rich package of services including hot showers, restrooms and a store, which he hoped would attract people used to camping in the rough. The original campground was an immediate hit and Drum took on two partners and sold franchises all over the country. There are about 500 KOA sites today.

Recreational vehicle (RV)

8. Lenders’ figs. : APRS
Annual percentage rate (APR)

9. Vanish, in a way : GO AWOL
The Military Police (MPs) often track down personnel who go AWOL (absent without leave).

10. Type of laptop-to-printer connection : 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.

12. New York’s ___ Field : CITI
Citi Field is the relatively new baseball stadium used by the New York Mets, and sits right next door to Shea stadium, where the Mets had played for decades. And the name of course comes from sponsor Citigroup.

13. “Home Invasion” rapper : ICE-T
Rapper Ice-T must be sick of having his name come up as an answer in crossword puzzles. Maybe he should have stuck to his real name, Tracy Marrow? Then again, maybe not … Ice-T has been interested in acting for decades and made his film debut in the 1984 movie about break-dancing called “Breakin’”. He has also played Detective Fin Tutuola in the TV show “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since the year 2000.

25. PX patron : NCO
An NCO is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces. Usually such an officer is one who has earned his or her rank by promotion through the enlisted ranks. A good example would be a sergeant.

A PX is a Post Exchange, a retail store operating on a US Army Base. The equivalent store on an Air Force Base is called a Base Exchange (BX). At a Navy installation it’s a Navy Exchange (NEX), at a Marine Corps installation it’s a Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) and at a Coast Guard Installation it’s a CGX.

26. “Hello Goodbye” to “All You Need Is Love” on the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” album : SIDE TWO
The Beatles released 13 extended play records, starting with “My Bonnie” (with Tony Sheridan) in July 1963. The last EP released by the Beatles was “Magical Mystery Tour” from December 1967.

30. Maestro’s signal : CUE
“Maestro” is often used to address a musical conductor. “Maestro” (plural “maestri”) is the Italian word for “master, teacher”. The plural in English is usually “maestros”.

34. Tiptop : ACME
The “acme” is the highest point, coming from the Greek word “akme” which has the same meaning.

41. Funny Charlotte : RAE
Charlotte Rae is an American actress, best known for playing the character Edna Garrett on two sitcoms from the seventies and eighties: “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life”. Towards the end of the series, the Edna Garrett character operated her own gourmet food shop called “Edna’s Edibles”.

45. Couples’ getaway? : ARK
Genesis 6:19-20 states that Noah was instructed to take two animals of every kind into the ark. Later, in Genesis 7:2-3 Noah was instructed to take on board “every clean animal by sevens … male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth”. Apparently “extras” (7 rather than 2) were needed for ritual sacrifice.

52. Old anesthetic : ETHER
Ethers are a whole class of organic compounds, but in the vernacular “ether” is specifically diethyl ether. Diethyl ether was once very popular as a general anesthetic.

58. New England football team, informally : PATS
The New England Patriots football team was founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots. The “Patriots” name was selected from suggestions made by football fans in Boston. The team played at several different stadiums in the Boston area for just over ten years, before moving to their current home base in Foxborough, Massachusetts. At the time of the move, the “Boston” name was dropped and changed to “New England”.

59. Use in great excess : OD ON
Overdose (OD)

61. It’s west of the Pacific : ASIA
Most of the world’s population lives in Asia (60%), and Asia is the largest continent in terms of landmass (30% of the world). Asia also has the highest population density (246 people per square mile), and the most populous city on the continent is Shanghai, China.

65. Corrosive stuff : LYE
What we call “lye” is usually sodium hydroxide, although historically the term was used for potassium hydroxide. Lye has many uses, including to cure several foodstuffs. Lye can make olives less bitter, for example. The chemical is also found in canned mandarin oranges, pretzels and Japanese ramen noodles. More concentrated grades of lye are used to clear drains and clean ovens. Scary …

67. D.D.E.’s predecessor : HST
The initial “S” in the middle of the name Harry S. Truman (HST) doesn’t stand for anything. The future-president was named “Harry” in honor of his mother’s brother Harrison “Harry” Young. The initial “S” was chosen in honor of young Harry’s two grandfathers: Anderson S-hipp Truman and S-olomon Young.

President Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas and given the name David Dwight Eisenhower, but by the time he made it to the White House he was going by the name Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE). Growing up, his family called him Dwight, and when “Ike” enrolled in West Point he himself reversed the order of his given names.

68. Old “You’re going to like us” sloganeer : TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a big carrier in the US, but was perhaps even more recognized for its extensive presence in Europe and the Middle East. For many years, especially after the collapse of Pan-Am, TWA was considered the unofficial flag carrier for the US. The company started in 1930, the product of a forced merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express. The Transcontinental and Western Air that resulted (the original meaning of the acronym TWA) was what the Postmaster General wanted, a bigger airline to which the Postal Service could award airmail contracts.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Wraps around the subcontinent : SARIS
6. The Rocksteady 7 genre : SKA
9. Hermès rival : GUCCI
14. Market not to be bullish in? : CHINA SHOP
16. Courtier who invites Hamlet to a duel : OSRIC
17. Frost mixed with pebbles? : ROCKY HOAR (from “Rocky Horror”)
18. Ebb away : ABATE
19. Bud in Burgundy : AMI
20. Dated : SAW
21. Scatter : SOW
23. Bad spot for taking prom pictures : ZIT
24. Authors of fiction? : PEN NAMES
27. Having a propensity to dig : NOSY
29. Priest getting what’s coming to him? : CLERICAL HEIR (from “clerical error”)
33. Don’t do it : TABOO
36. High on hwys. : DUI
37. Title Mr. of literature : HYDE
38. Post-operation site, for short : ICU
39. Elementary education … or feature of the last words punned upon in 17-, 29-, 49- and 66-Across : THREE RS
43. “Y” wearer : ELI
44. Poet Lazarus : EMMA
46. Equine nibble : OAT
47. City by the Wasatch Mountains : OGDEN
49. Pond admired from the back porch? : REARVIEW MERE (from “rearview mirror”)
53. Pair for some Winter Olympians : SKIS
54. Eclipse : OUTCLASS
58. Juice drink brand : POM
60. Expected hr. at the airport : ETA
62. That ship : SHE
63. The Horned Frogs of the N.C.A.A. : TCU
64. First name in infamy : ADOLF
66. Chiffon mishap? : SHEER TEAR (from “sheer terror”)
69. Home of the Imperial Palace : TOKYO
70. Volunteer’s affirmation : I SURE WILL
71. Villain’s look : SNEER
72. Currency unit, briefly : ATM
73. Feeling sexually aroused : RANDY

Down
1. Jettison : SCRAP
2. “Oh, give me ___ …” : A HOME
3. Poison used on TV’s “Breaking Bad” : RICIN
4. Tats : INK
5. Speaks volumes : SAYS A LOT
6. April weather event : SHOWER
7. Org. for R.V. lovers : KOA
8. Lenders’ figs. : APRS
9. Vanish, in a way : GO AWOL
10. Type of laptop-to-printer connection : USB
11. Loony-looking : CRAZY-EYED
12. New York’s ___ Field : CITI
13. “Home Invasion” rapper : ICE-T
15. “For ___!” : SHAME
22. Studio alert : ON AIR
25. PX patron : NCO
26. “Hello Goodbye” to “All You Need Is Love” on the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” album : SIDE TWO
28. “Put a cork in it!” : SHH!
30. Maestro’s signal : CUE
31. Do nothing : IDLE
32. Jockey strap : REIN
33. Grand ___ (opera house section) : TIER
34. Tiptop : ACME
35. Pick from another’s pack : BUM A SMOKE
40. Give a lift : HOIST
41. Funny Charlotte : RAE
42. Enchanting sort : SORCERER
45. Couples’ getaway? : ARK
48. Come together : GEL
50. Try to win : VIE FOR
51. Oil spot? : MUSEUM
52. Old anesthetic : ETHER
55. Dined at home : ATE IN
56. Burn, as milk : SCALD
57. Irritably sullen : SURLY
58. New England football team, informally : PATS
59. Use in great excess : OD ON
61. It’s west of the Pacific : ASIA
65. Corrosive stuff : LYE
67. D.D.E.’s predecessor : HST
68. Old “You’re going to like us” sloganeer : TWA

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6 thoughts on “0113-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 13 Jan 16, Wednesday”

  1. 15:26, no errors, but … (full disclosure) … As I was about to write in the final letter (which I wasn't sure of), a mini-emergency erupted in the house, so I hastily filled in a guess (Nats instead of Pats) jotted down the time, and ran. When I got back to the puzzle a few minutes later, I saw that my guess was wrong and corrected it. My actual solve time was therefore probably about 16 minutes. As if anyone cares … 🙂

    As usual, I learned several things from today's blog … for example, I had often wondered idly whether DUI and DWI were equivalent …

  2. No errors. Did not catch on to the theme until the puzzle was fully solved. This happens with me often. Isn't the theme supposed to be a clue to help someone to the conclusion? And not something that only becomes clear after finishing?

  3. @Dale … Your experience with this puzzle's theme was much the same as mine. Frequently, especially early in the week, understanding the theme is neither necessary, nor even particularly helpful, in solving a puzzle. I think some themes add to the enjoyment of the person who created the puzzle more than that of someone solving it. S'okay by me … 🙂

  4. 15:35, no errors. Same experience as the previous posters, I thought that the theme words simply required the R sound to be added to the end. But then there are four of them, not three. Appreciate Dave's explanation as to why 3 R's made sense.

    @Dave K: with the legalization of marijuana in Washington, the state now has a separate category 'DUID', (driving under influence of drugs). The state has had to establish a legal limit for the presence of marijuana agents in the blood which would cause impairment, and provide a separate test for determining the level of those agents (breathalyzer tests don't work for this). I assume Colorado has done the same.

  5. @BruceB … I just checked and found that Colorado has, in fact, established rules such as you describe for DUI cases involving marijuana.

    I have very mixed feelings about the legalization of marijuana here. On the one hand, I think it was high time to end the practice of long-term incarceration of occasional pot smokers and I don't think it was ever right to paint weed as somehow being worse than alcohol, but I hate the idea that the state is now in the position of seeming to okay the stuff, particularly since the federal government still takes the opposite view. As someone who was seriously addicted to tobacco (I smoked for 17 years and it took me a year and a half to quit, during which I turned into something of a ogre), I could not be more grateful that I reacted very badly to both alcohol and pot, else I might have ended up addicted to them as well. Somehow, I feel we have a resposibility to try to restrain our kids from making choices that can be so damaging to them.

    By the way, Bruce, I think you meant to thank Bill for the explanation of the theme and somehow used my name instead …

  6. Though one of us lives in Denver, we are both from Pittsburgh, a place with a very distinctive way of speaking. We call it Pittsburghese. Believe it or not, to a Pittsburgher, a mirror is a mere, horror is a horr, terror is terr, and an error is an errr. That IS the way folks from hereabouts (we say hereabahts) speak.

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