0415-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 15 Apr 16, Friday

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
8. Things with round numbers? BAR TABS
When we “run a tab” at a bar say, we are “running a tabulation”, a listing of what we owe. Such a use of “tab” is American slang that originated in the 1880s.

16. Far out? EXURBAN
As an extension to the term “suburb”, an “exurb” is an area beyond the suburbs at the very outskirts of a city. Often the term exurb is used to denote an area inhabited by more wealthy people.

19. “Cats” monogram TSE
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s source material for his hit musical “Cats” was T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. Eliot’s collection of whimsical poems was published in 1939, and was a personal favorite of Webber as he was growing up. “Cats” is the second longest running show in Broadway history (“Phantom of the Opera” is the longest and is still running; deservedly so in my humble opinion). My wife and I have seen “Cats” a couple of times and really enjoyed it …

20. Peaceful protests LOVE-INS
A “love-in” was a peaceful protest most associated with the late sixties. The gatherings themselves often involved meditation, music and the use of psychedelic drugs. The term “love-in” was apparently coined by LA comedian Peter Bergman who had a radio show at that time.

22. Athletic great whose name and jersey number rhyme 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 …

23. I Samuel preceder RUTH
The Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament tells the story of Ruth. Ruth was one of two women who married the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi. Father and sons died, leaving the three widows to fend for themselves. Naomi decided that it was best to go to Bethlehem. Orpah was Naomi’s second daughter-in-law, and she decided to return to her home. Ruth decided to stick with her mother-in-law, using the words “Whither thou goest, I will go”.

25. Point ___, Calif. REYES
Point Reyes is a picturesque cape on the Northern California coast about 30 miles west-northwest of San Francisco. The cape was named “Cabo de Pinos” (Point Reyes) by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo.

30. Color whose name is French for “mole” TAUPE
Taupe is a dark, gray-brown color. The word “taupe” comes from the Latin name of the European Mole, which has skin with the same color.

31. It may represent November ELEVEN
November is the eleventh month in our calendar. The name comes from the Latin “novem” meaning “nine”, as November was the ninth month in the ancient Roman calendar.

35. Seat of Oklahoma’s Garfield County ENID
Enid, Oklahoma takes its name from the old railroad station around which the city developed. Back in 1889, that train stop was called Skeleton Station. An official who didn’t like the name changed it to Enid Station, using a character from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Idylls of the King”. Maybe if he hadn’t changed the name, the city of Enid would now be called Skeleton, Oklahoma! Enid has the nickname “Queen Wheat City” because is has a huge capacity for storing grain, the third largest grain storage capacity in the world.

38. Friend on “Friends” CHANDLER
Matthew Perry is an actor best known for his television work, especially playing Chandler Bing on the incredibly successful sitcom “Friends”. More recently, Perry has been playing Oscar Madison on the latest TV adaptation of the Neil Simon play “The Odd Couple”.

42. Zip, as a Ziploc, say RESEAL
Ziploc re-sealable storage bags came on the market in 1968.

47. Shout while shaking a pompom RAH!
The French call a ball made of tufted wool a “pompon”, a word that we imported into English directly as “pompon”. We use “pompon” to describe perhaps bobbles on some hats, or the tufted balls that are shaken by cheerleaders at sports events. Over time, the spelling “pompom” has become common in English, probably due to mishearing. To confuse matters a little, we also use the word “pom-pom” as a nickname for a British autocannon used mainly as an anti-aircraft weapon, particularly during WWII.

49. Friend of Buckwheat DARLA
Alfalfa’s love interest in “Our Gang” was Darla, whose real name was Darla Hood. Hood became quite a successful singer after she grew out of her “Our Gang” role.

Buckwheat was one of moviedom’s “Little Rascals”, also known as “Our Gang”. Buckwheat was played by Billie Thomas, a child actor from Los Angeles.

51. The band fun. and others TRIOS
Fun. is a indie band that was formed in 2008 in New York City and was active until 2015.

53. Look through? X-RAY
X-rays were first studied comprehensively by the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (also “Roentgen”), and it was he who gave the name “X-rays” to this particular type of radiation. Paradoxically, in Röntgen’s native language of German, X-rays are routinely referred to as “Röntgen rays”. In 1901 Röntgen won the first Nobel Prize in Physics that was ever awarded, recognition for his work on X-rays.

54. Ring letters WBA
World Boxing Association (WBA)

55. “Take it easy, bro!” CHILLAX!
“Chillax” is a slang term meaning “chill and relax”. Who’da thunk it …?

57. “Odi et ___” (Catullus poem) AMO
Gaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet active in the days of the Roman Republic.

60. Electronic music genre DUBSTEP
“Dubstep” is a type of electronic dance music that first surfaced in London, England in the nineties. I doubt there’s any in my music collection …

62. Bogey ONE OVER
The term “bogey” originated at the Great Yarmouth Golf Club in England in 1890, and was used to indicate a total round that was one-over-par (and not one-over-par on a particular hole, as it is today). The name Bogey came from a music hall song of the time “Here Comes the Bogey Man”. In the following years it became popular for players trying to stay at par to be “playing against Colonel Bogey”. Then, during WWI, the marching tune “Colonel Bogey” was written and named after the golfing term. If you don’t recognize the name of the tune, it’s the one that’s whistled by the soldiers marching in the great movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”.

64. Answer to “Capisce?” YES, I SEE
“Capeesh?” is a slang term meaning “do you understand?” It comes from the Italian “capisce” meaning “understand”.

Down
1. Plant seen on the Sistine Chapel ceiling FIG TREE
The third plant named in the Bible, after the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, was the fig tree. Adam and Eve used leaves from the fig tree to sew garments when they realized that they were naked.

The Sistine Chapel, in the Pope’s residence in Rome, takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV who was responsible for restoring the old Capella Magna in the 15th century. It was about a century later (1508-1512) that Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel under the patronage of Pope Julius II.

3. Shower clothes LAYETTE
A newborn baby’s collection of clothing and accessories is called a “layette”.

4. Quotation qualifier SIC
“Sic” indicates that a quotation is written as originally found, perhaps including a typo. “Sic” is Latin for “thus, like this”. The term is more completely written as “sic erat scriptum”, which translates as “thus was it written”.

6. “Star Wars” moon ENDOR
In the “Star Wars” universe, the moon of Endor is home to the Ewoks. The Ewoks are creatures who first appear in “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”. They’re the cute and cuddly little guys that look like teddy bears.

8. Certain pop music fan of the 2010s BELIEBER
Justin Bieber is a young pop singer from London, Ontario. Bieber was actually discovered on YouTube by talent manager Scooter Brown. Fans of Bieber call themselves “Beliebers”. Personally, I’m no believer in Bieber …

9. Cellular transmitters AXONS
A nerve cell is more correctly called a neuron. The branched projections that receive electrochemical signals from other neurons are known as dendrites. The long nerve fiber that conducts signals away from the neuron is known as the axon. A neuron that has no definite axon is referred to as “apolar” or “nonpolar”. In apolar neurons the nerve impulses radiate in all directions.

10. Bygone sportscaster Hodges RUSS
Russ Hodges was a broadcaster who did play-by-play commentary for the San Francisco Giants, including the days when the franchise was based in New York. Hodges was calling the 1951 game which featured Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Hear ‘Round the World” which won the pennant for the New York Giants. Hodges then uttered the words “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

11. ___ Styles, lead character in “Boyz N the Hood” TRE
“Boyz N the Hood” is a 1991 movie about gang culture in South Central LA. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ice Cube have starring roles, and the director was John Singleton. Singleton was only 23 years old at the time of filming, and his resulting nomination for a Best Director Oscar made him the youngest ever nominee for that category of Academy Award.

12. Screwdriver selection ABSOLUT
I must admit, if I ever do order a vodka drink by name, I will order the Absolut brand. I must also admit that I do so from the perspective of an amateur photographer. I’ve been swayed by the Absolut marketing campaign that features such outstanding photographic images. I’m sure you’ve come across examples …

The cocktail called a screwdriver is a mix of fresh orange juice with vodka. Apparently the drink originated with a group of engineers in the late forties who used to spike small cans of orange juice with vodka, and then stir it in with their screwdrivers.

13. Gotham building-climbing tool BATROPE
Batman and Robin are unique among their superhero compatriots in that they have no special powers, just a whole load of cool gadgets. Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader, Robin as the Boy Wonder, and the pair as the Dynamic Duo.

24. One low on dough HAVE-NOT
Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dinero, dough and moola/moolah are all slang terms for money.

32. Bagel NIL
“Bagel” is a slang term for “zero”, because a bagel has the shape of the number 0.

36. Behind DERRIERE
“Derrière” is a French term meaning “back part, rear”.

44. California’s so-called “Island City” ALAMEDA
“Alameda” is Spanish for “a place full of poplars”. There are number of locations in the US and elsewhere with the name “Alameda”, including the county of Alameda, California which is where I am right now, writing this post. Alameda County is also home to the city of Alameda located on Alameda Island.

48. Poker variant HOLD ‘EM
The official birthplace of the incredibly popular poker game of Texas Hold ‘Em is Robstown, Texas where the game dates back to the early 1900s. The game was introduced into Las Vegas in 1967 by a group of Texan enthusiasts including Doyle Brunson, a champion often seen playing on TV today. Doyle Brunson published a poker strategy guide in 1978, and this really helped increase the popularity of the game. But it was the inclusion of Texas Hold ‘Em in the television line-up that really gave the game its explosive surge in popularity, with the size of the prize money just skyrocketing.

52. Angel hair topper SAUCE
Capellini is a pasta that is like a thin spaghetti. An even thinner version of the pasta is known as “capelli d’angelo”, which translates as “angel hair”.

55. Quicken Loans Arena cagers CAVS
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”.

56. ___ One (2013 release) XBOX
The XBox line of video game consoles is made by Microsoft. The original XBox platform was followed by XBox 360 and most recently by XBox One. Microsoft’s XBox competes directly with Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii.

59. Pounded paste POI
The corm of some taro plants is used to make poi, the traditional Hawaiian dish (that I think tastes horrible). When a taro plant is grown as an ornamental, it is often called Elephant Ears due to the shape of its large leaves.

61. Zymurgy, e.g.: Abbr. SCI
Zymology (also called “zymurgy”) is the scientific term for fermentation, and is a subject much-studied and understood by brewers.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Artificial eyelashes, informally FALSIES
8. Things with round numbers? BAR TABS
15. Reply to a pushy person I SAID NO!
16. Far out? EXURBAN
17. Not flirting with your friend’s girlfriend, e.g. GUY CODE
18. Gets crushed by, say LOSES TO
19. “Cats” monogram TSE
20. Peaceful protests LOVE-INS
22. Athletic great whose name and jersey number rhyme ORR
23. I Samuel preceder RUTH
25. Point ___, Calif. REYES
26. Problem on a record BLOT
27. Really get to EAT AT
29. Yankee opposer REB
30. Color whose name is French for “mole” TAUPE
31. It may represent November ELEVEN
33. Quit DESISTED
35. Seat of Oklahoma’s Garfield County ENID
37. They surround lenses RIMS
38. Friend on “Friends” CHANDLER
42. Zip, as a Ziploc, say RESEAL
46. Angel hair toppers? HALOS
47. Shout while shaking a pompom RAH!
49. Friend of Buckwheat DARLA
50. Give out EMIT
51. The band fun. and others TRIOS
53. Look through? X-RAY
54. Ring letters WBA
55. “Take it easy, bro!” CHILLAX!
57. “Odi et ___” (Catullus poem) AMO
58. Beyond the requirement TO SPARE
60. Electronic music genre DUBSTEP
62. Bogey ONE OVER
63. Pouring poison into a stream, e.g. ECOCIDE
64. Answer to “Capisce?” YES, I SEE
65. Spicy cuisine MEXICAN

Down
1. Plant seen on the Sistine Chapel ceiling FIG TREE
2. In an ordinary fashion AS USUAL
3. Shower clothes LAYETTE
4. Quotation qualifier SIC
5. Teenage dream? IDOL
6. “Star Wars” moon ENDOR
7. In any way SO EVER
8. Certain pop music fan of the 2010s BELIEBER
9. Cellular transmitters AXONS
10. Bygone sportscaster Hodges RUSS
11. ___ Styles, lead character in “Boyz N the Hood” TRE
12. Screwdriver selection ABSOLUT
13. Gotham building-climbing tool BATROPE
14. Expressed derision SNORTED
21. Sized up EYED
24. One low on dough HAVE-NOT
26. Big wind BASS SAX
28. Keeps a watch on TENDS
30. Kept a watch on? TIMED
32. Bagel NIL
34. “Right honourable” sort SIR
36. Behind DERRIERE
38. Treat for a dog CHEW TOY
39. Treat for a dog HAM BONE
40. Things you can assume ALIASES
41. Skate park fixture RAIL
43. All over the place ERRATIC
44. California’s so-called “Island City” ALAMEDA
45. Make public LAY OPEN
48. Poker variant HOLD ‘EM
51. Low par THREE
52. Angel hair topper SAUCE
55. Quicken Loans Arena cagers CAVS
56. ___ One (2013 release) XBOX
59. Pounded paste POI
61. Zymurgy, e.g.: Abbr. SCI

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