0719-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 19 Jul 16, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: James Mulhern
THEME: Full Count
Each of today’s themed answers contains either the word STRIKE or the word BALL. We have three balls and two strikes in all, which in baseball would be a FULL COUNT. We might also note where the words BALL and STRIKE are placed in the grid. The STRIKES are in the zone, in the center of the grid, whereas the BALLS are outside:

63A. 3-2 … or what’s represented by the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues? : FULL COUNT

17A. *Car part that works in a similar manner to the human hip : BALL JOINT
37A. *Retaliate : STRIKE BACK
42A. *Tenants’ protest : RENT STRIKE
11D. *Children’s toy that tests dexterity : BALL-IN-A-CUP
29D. *Cry just before hitting the pool : CANNONBALL!

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 7m 36s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. German export : AUDI
The Audi name has an interesting history. The Horch company was founded by August Horch in 1909. Early in the life of the new company, Horch was forced out of his own business. He set up a new enterprise and continued to use his own name as a brand. The old company sued him for using the Horch name so a meeting was held to choose something new. Horch’s young son was studying Latin in the room where the meeting was taking place. He pointed out that “Horch” was German for “hear” and he suggested “Audi” as a replacement, the Latin for “listen”.

9. Up : AT BAT
That would be in baseball.

15. “The kissing disease” : MONO
Mononucleosis is a viral disease that is also simply “Mono” or glandular fever. The virus that causes the disease can only be contracted through direct exposure to infected saliva. As a result, Mono is often called “the kissing disease”.

16. Hindu mystic : SWAMI
A swami is a religious teacher in the Hindu tradition. The word “swami” can also mean “husband” in the Bengali and Malay languages.

17. *Car part that works in a similar manner to the human hip : BALL JOINT
In mechanical engineering terms, a ball joint consists of a ball-like termination on one side, which is held inside a concave, spherical socket on the other. Almost all cars have ball joints connecting the front wheels to the automobile’s suspension system.

19. Mythical abductee : HELEN
According to Greek mythology, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda. When Helen reached the age of marriage, she had many suitors as she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Menelaus was chosen as her husband, and he took her back to his home of Sparta. Paris, a Trojan prince, seduced Helen, as she eloped with him and travelled to Troy. This event sparked the Trojan War that waged between the city of Troy and Greece. Because of this war, Helen was said to have “the face that launched a thousand ships”. And because of this phrase, it has been suggested, probably by author Isaac Asimov, that the amount of beauty needed launch a single ship is one “millihelen”.

21. ___ milk : SOY
What are known as soybeans here in the US are called “soya beans” in most other English-speaking countries. So, I drink soy milk here in America, but when I am over in Ireland I drink “soya milk”.

24. Dodge Viper engine : V-TEN
The Dodge Viper is an American sports car with a V10 engine. The Viper was introduced in 1991, and is still in production today.

28. America’s most-watched TV series of 2012-13 : NCIS
NCIS is the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which investigates crimes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The service gives its name to the CBS TV show “NCIS”, a spin-off drama from “JAG” in which the main “NCIS” characters were first introduced. The big star in “NCIS” is the actor Mark Harmon. “NCIS” is now a franchise, with spinoff shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans”.

30. Prudential competitor : AETNA
When the healthcare management and insurance company known as Aetna was founded, the name was chosen to evoke images of Mt. Etna, the European volcano.

33. Crooner ___ King Cole : NAT
Nat King Cole’s real name was Nathaniel Adams Coles. Cole made television history in 1956 when his own show debuted on NBC, a first for an African-American. Cole couldn’t pick up a national sponsor, so in order to save money and possibly save the show, many guest artists worked for no fee at all – the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte and Peggy Lee. The show survived for a year, but eventually Nat King Cole had to pull the plug on it himself.

36. Indian bread : NAAN
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

40. Avoirdupois unit : OUNCE
Our term “ounce” comes from the Latin “uncia”, which was 1/12 of a “libra”, the Roman “pound”.

The everyday system of weights that we use in the US is known as the avoirdupois system and is based on one pound consisting of sixteen ounces. The name “avoirdupois” comes from the Anglo-Norman French “aveir de peis” meaning “goods of weights”. “Goods of weights” were items sold in bulk that were weighed on a balance.

48. When doubled, a sitcom sign-off : NANU
Mork & Mindy was broadcast from 1978 to 1982. We were first introduced to Mork (played by Robin Williams) in a special episode of “Happy Days”. The particular episode in question has a bizarre storyline culminating in Fonzie and Mork having a thumb-to-finger duel. Eventually Richie wakes up in bed, and alien Mork was just part of a dream! Oh, and “Nanu Nanu” means both “hello” and “goodbye” back on the planet Ork. “I am Mork from Ork, Nanu Nanu”. Great stuff …

52. “Mine!” : DIBS!
The phrase “to have dibs on” expresses a claim on something. Apparently, the term “dibs” is a contraction of “dibstone”, which was a knucklebone or jack used in a children’s game.

67. Letters on some meat packaging : USDA
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies meat into eight different grades:

– Prime
– Choice
– Select
– Standard
– Commercial
– Utility
– Cutter
– Canner

68. “The Godfather” actress Shire : TALIA
The actress Talia Shire is best-known for playing Rocky’s wife Adrian in the “Rocky” series of movies. She also played Connie, the daughter of Don Corleone, in “The Godfather” films. Shire is the sister of movie director Francis Ford Coppola and the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage. Her son is the actor Jason Schwartzman.

70. Toffee candy bar : SKOR
Skor is a candy bar produced by Hershey’s. “Skor” is Swedish for “shoes”, and the candy bar’s wrapping features a crown that is identical to that found in the Swedish national emblem. Skor is sold in Canada as Rutnam. What “shoes” have to do with candy, I don’t know …

Down
1. Pop group that broke through at the 1974 Eurovision contest : ABBA
I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA’s music. ABBA was the Swedish group who topped the charts in the seventies and eighties. The name ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of the given names of each of the band members, namely: Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid.

We have a big event across Europe every year called the Eurovision Song Contest. Each nation enters one song in competition with each other, and then voters across the whole continent decide on the winner. That’s how ABBA got their big break when they won in 1974 with “Waterloo”. In 1973, Spain’s entry was “Eres tú” (the Spanish for “You Are”) sung by the band Mocedades. “Eres tu” came second in the competition, but should have won in my humble opinion.

2. Eurasia’s ___ Mountains : URAL
The eastern side of the Ural Mountains in Russia is generally regarded as the natural divide between the continents of Europe and Asia.

4. McDonald’s slogan that replaced “Put a Smile On” : I’M LOVIN’ IT
The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success.

5. Ham it up : EMOTE
The word “ham”, describing a performer who overacts, is apparently a shortened form of “hamfatter” and dates back to the late 1800s. “Hamfatter” comes from a song in old minstrel shows called “The Ham-Fat Man”. It seems that a poorly performing actor was deemed to have the “acting” qualities of a minstrel made up in blackface.

8. Dorothy’s dog : TOTO
Toto is Dorothy’s dog in the film “The Wizard of Oz”, and in the original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. Toto was played in the movie by a dog called Terry, but Terry’s name was soon changed to Toto in real life due to the success of the film.

9. ___ Wednesday : ASH
In the Christian tradition, the first day in the season of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday, Palm Crosses from the prior year’s Palm Sunday are burned. The resulting ashes are mixed with sacred oil and then used to anoint worshipers on the forehead with the shape of a cross.

12. College town in Iowa : AMES
The Iowa city of Ames was founded as a stop on the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad in 1864. It was named for US Congressman Oakes Ames from the state of Massachusetts in honor of the role that Ames played in the building of the transcontinental railroad.

22. Ruth, for one : YANKEE
Jack Dunn was the owner/manager of the Baltimore Orioles back in 1913, when he signed on George Herman Ruth as a pitcher. The other players called Ruth “Jack’s newest babe”, and the name “Babe” stuck.

27. Highlander’s “not” : NAE
The Scottish Highlands are that part of the country that is not classified as the Lowlands. The Highlands make up the north and west of Scotland.

31. Bert’s pal : ERNIE
For many years, I believed that the “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie were named after two roles played in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In the movie, the policeman’s name is Bert and his taxi-driving buddy is named Ernie. However, the “Sesame Street” folks have stated that the use of the same names is just a coincidence.

34. Ibuprofen targets : ACHES
Ibuprofen is a shortened version of the drug’s name Iso-BUtyl-PROpanoic-PHENolic acid. It’s actually an anti-inflammatory, but apparently it is good for headaches too.

35. Boxing decisions : TKOS
In boxing, a knockout (KO) is when one of the fighters can’t get up from the canvas within a specified time, usually 10 seconds. This can be due to fatigue, injury, or the participant may be truly “knocked out”. A referee, fighter or doctor may also decide to stop a fight without a physical knockout, especially if there is concern about a fighter’s safety. In this case the bout is said to end with a technical knockout (TKO).

36. “When Harry Met Sally …” screenwriter Ephron : NORA
Nora Ephron had many talents, including writing film scripts and novels. Many of the movies that she wrote, she also directed. These would include some of my favorite movies of all time like “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail” and most recently, the wonderful “Julie & Julia”. And, did you know that Nora Ephron’s second marriage was to journalist Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame? She wrote an autobiographical novel based on her life with Bernstein, dealing in particular with Bernstein’s affair with the daughter of British Prime Minister James Callaghan.

“When Harry Met Sally… “ is a 1989 romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the title roles. This marvelous film was written by the late Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner.

38. Attractive, informally : BODACIOUS
The term “bodacious” means “remarkable, bold” and can be used to mean “sexy”, although that usage is more “slangy”. “Bodacious” is possible a melding of the terms “bold” and “audacious”.

43. Part of S.F. : SAN
San Francisco (SF)

47. Multivitamin ingredient : ZINC
The metal zinc is an essential trace element in the human diet. There are 2-4 grams of zinc in the body typically, with the highest concentrations in the eyes and the male prostate gland.

49. Very, to a conductor : ASSAI
The Italian term “assai” translates as “very”, and is used in music with the same meaning.

53. Skosh : IOTA
Iota is the ninth letter in the Greek alphabet. We use the word “iota” to portray something very small as it is the smallest of all Greek letters.

“Skosh” is a slang term meaning “a little bit”, originally military slang that came out of the Korean War. “Skosh” derives from the Japanese word “sukoshi” which translates as “few, little, some”.

58. Elon who co-founded Tesla : MUSK
Elon Musk is successful businessman who has founded or led some very high-profile companies, namely PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX.

60. Hollywood Walk of Fame symbol : STAR
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a series of sidewalks taking up 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and 3 blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood. The Walk of Fame is an ever-changing monument dedicated to those who have achieved greatness in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera. The first stars installed in the sidewalk were a group of eight, officially laid in 1960. That group consisted of:

– Joanne Woodward (actor)
– Olive Borden (actor)
– Ronald Colman (actor)
– Louise Fazenda (actor)
– Preston Foster (actor)
– Burt Lancaster (actor)
– Edward Sedgwick (director)
– Ernest Torrence (actor)

62. ___ Precheck : TSA
The TSA is the Transportation Security Administration, the good folks that check passengers and baggage at airports.

64. The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU
The LSU Tigers are the sports teams of Louisiana State University (LSU). They are officially known as the Fightin’ Tigers, and the school mascot is “Mike the Tiger”. The name comes from the days of the Civil War, when two Louisiana brigades earned the nickname the “Louisiana Tigers”. Given the French/Cajun history of Louisiana, the LSU fans use the cheer “Geaux Tigers” instead of “Go Tigers”.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. German export : AUDI
5. Polish, as text : EDIT
9. Up : AT BAT
14. Hat part : BRIM
15. “The kissing disease” : MONO
16. Hindu mystic : SWAMI
17. *Car part that works in a similar manner to the human hip : BALL JOINT
19. Mythical abductee : HELEN
20. 100%, as effort : ALL-OUT
21. ___ milk : SOY
23. “What ___ is new?” : ELSE
24. Dodge Viper engine : V-TEN
26. Not pro : ANTI
28. America’s most-watched TV series of 2012-13 : NCIS
30. Prudential competitor : AETNA
33. Crooner ___ King Cole : NAT
36. Indian bread : NAAN
37. *Retaliate : STRIKE BACK
39. Upscale hotel chain : OMNI
40. Avoirdupois unit : OUNCE
41. Spanish eight : OCHO
42. *Tenants’ protest : RENT STRIKE
44. Membership fees : DUES
45. Fuss : ADO
46. Spinning, quaintly : AREEL
47. Kills, as bugs : ZAPS
48. When doubled, a sitcom sign-off : NANU
50. Mind-blowing, in modern lingo : EPIC
52. “Mine!” : DIBS!
54. Golf pencil holder : EAR
57. Enmity : ANIMUS
61. Event for a Comedy Central special : ROAST
63. 3-2 … or what’s represented by the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues? : FULL COUNT
65. Place setting? : ATLAS
66. “All ___!” (court exclamation) : RISE
67. Letters on some meat packaging : USDA
68. “The Godfather” actress Shire : TALIA
69. Burden : ONUS
70. Toffee candy bar : SKOR

Down
1. Pop group that broke through at the 1974 Eurovision contest : ABBA
2. Eurasia’s ___ Mountains : URAL
3. Pickle variety : DILL
4. McDonald’s slogan that replaced “Put a Smile On” : I’M LOVIN’ IT
5. Ham it up : EMOTE
6. “And how!” : DO I!
7. Stopovers for wayfarers : INNS
8. Dorothy’s dog : TOTO
9. ___ Wednesday : ASH
10. Many a comment from Donald Trump : TWEET
11. *Children’s toy that tests dexterity : BALL-IN-A-CUP
12. College town in Iowa : AMES
13. Fork part : TINE
18. Sticks (out) : JUTS
22. Ruth, for one : YANKEE
25. Word after human or second : NATURE
27. Highlander’s “not” : NAE
28. Titled : NAMED
29. *Cry just before hitting the pool : CANNONBALL!
31. Bert’s pal : ERNIE
32. Amuse : TICKLE
34. Ibuprofen targets : ACHES
35. Boxing decisions : TKOS
36. “When Harry Met Sally …” screenwriter Ephron : NORA
37. “You got that right!” : SO TRUE!
38. Attractive, informally : BODACIOUS
43. Part of S.F. : SAN
47. Multivitamin ingredient : ZINC
49. Very, to a conductor : ASSAI
51. Loses color : PALES
52. “Dagnabbit!” : DRAT!
53. Skosh : IOTA
55. Spherical locks : AFRO
56. Reduce to rubble : RUIN
58. Elon who co-founded Tesla : MUSK
59. Control+Z computer command : UNDO
60. Hollywood Walk of Fame symbol : STAR
62. ___ Precheck : TSA
64. The Tigers of the S.E.C. : LSU

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6 thoughts on “0719-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 19 Jul 16, Tuesday”

  1. Five weeks later, pen and paper: 8:59, no errors, and now I understand the BALL and STRIKE thing, because the printed version has something the app version didn't: thick lines bordering a 7×7 square in the middle of the grid and forming a strike zone! Ah so desu ka! Clever!

  2. No errors. Catching on to the theme helped at a critical juncture. After I had finished I went back and contemplated why the square outline in the center of the puzzle. Couldn't come up with anything but figured Bill would know. Sure enough, Bill nailed it. The square looks exactly like a real strike zone.

    In my newspaper I had one incomplete clue at 62-Down. The clue should have been ___ Precheck. But my paper gave only ___Pre. Even without the full clue I still got it.

  3. I thought I had better correct myself before someone calls me on it. The strike zone in baseball is not a square, it is a rectangle. So technically the "zone" in today's puzzle does not look "exactly" like a real strike zone.

  4. 8:06, no errors. Clever theme, I didn't bother with the theme while I was solving the puzzle. Went back after completion, to see if I could figure it out. Thought it was pretty clever to have the 2 strikes inside the strike zone and the 3 balls outside.

  5. 12:54, 2 errors caused by "not quite getting it" and filling in one wrong letter. Just wasn't on my Ps and Qs today … or my Fs…

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