0827-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 27 Aug 16, Saturday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Jim Page
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 15m 24s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Where to belt one down and belt one out : KARAOKE BAR
“Karate”, means “open hand”, and the related word “karaoke” means “open orchestra”.

11. Latch (onto) : GLOM
“Glom” is a slang term meaning “steal”, although it can also be used to mean “latch onto” when used as “glom onto”. The term probably comes from the Scots word “glam” meaning “to snatch at”.

16. Yasmina ___, two-time Tony-winning playwright : REZA
Yasmina Reza is a playwright from Paris best known for her plays “Art” and “God of Carnage”.

17. Ones hitting snares : DRUMSTICKS
Snare drums are so called because they have a set of wire strands (called snares) stretched across the bottom surface of the drum. When the drum is struck, the snares vibrate against the bottom drumhead producing a unique sound.

19. Political pundit Perino : DANA
Dana Perino served as the White House Press Secretary from 2007 until 2009, working in the administration of President George W. Bush. Perino was the second woman to work as White House Press Secretary, with Dee Dee Myers having paved the way during the Clinton Administration.

25. It may be spiked in winter : NOG
It’s not really clear where the term “nog” (as in “eggnog”) comes from although it might derive from the word “noggin”, which was originally a small wooden cup that was long associated with alcoholic drinks.

To lace a drink, is to spike it, by adding perhaps some alcohol or other strong substance.

28. Sushi order : AHI
Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are usually marketed as “ahi”, the Hawaiian name. They are both big fish, with yellowfish tuna often weighing over 300 pounds, and bigeye tuna getting up to 400 pounds.

Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If you want raw fish by itself, then you have to order “sashimi”.

30. ___ Minor : URSA
Ursa Minor (Latin for “Smaller Bear”) sits right beside the constellation Draco (Latin for “dragon”). Ursa Minor used to be considered the wing of Draco, and so was once called “Dragon’s Wing”.

32. Owner of Flix, in brief : SHO
Flix is a cable television channel that screens feature films released from the 1970s to the present day. The network uses two slogans: “Movies You Grew Up With” and “Cool Classics for the Movie Generation”.

33. Airhead : SPACE CADET
The expression “space cadet” is used to describe someone who is eccentric and disconnected with reality. It may even imply that the person is a user of hallucinogens. The phrase has been around since the sixties, and may be derived from the science fiction TV show “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” which aired in the fifties.

37. Mo. with All Saints’ Day : NOV
All Saints’ Day is November 1st each year. The day before All Saints’ Day is All Hallows Eve, better known by the Scottish term, “Halloween”.

39. Way down in Wayne Manor : BATPOLE
Wayne Manor is where Bruce Wayne lives, the alter-ego of Batman. It is a huge manor that lies just outside Gotham City. Looking after the house is the Wayne family servant, Alfred. Beneath the grounds of the manor is an extensive cave system where Bruce Wayne put together his Batcave. Access is to the cave is via a staircase behind a hidden door. The door is opened by moving the hands of a non-functioning grandfather clock to 10:47, the time at which Wayne’s parents were murdered. It is the murder of his parents that sets Bruce off on his journey of crime fighting.

43. Deliverer of the U.N. General Assembly speech “Atoms for Peace” : EISENHOWER
President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his “Atoms for Peace” speech in December, 1953 to the UN General Assembly. Ostensibly, the speech announced a new US policy, the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes around the world.

To the making of these fateful decisions, the United States pledges before you–and therefore before the world–its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma–to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.

45. Musician with the 2016 album “The Ship” : ENO
Brian Eno’s 2016 studio album entitled “The Ship” is named for the sinking of the Titanic, according to Eno himself.

46. View from the Ponte alla Carraia : ARNO
The Ponte alla Carraia is a bridge over the River Arno in the city of Florence. The original wooden bridge was erected 1218, and several reconstructions were required over the centuries. The current bridge was completed in 1948, replacing the structure demolished by the retreating German Army in 1944.

47. On, in Orléans : SUR
Orléans is a city in France, located less than 100 miles southwest of Paris. The French city gives its name to the American city of New Orleans.

50. Terrain maker : GMC
The Terrain is GMC’s smallest SUV.

58. Monogram for Christ : IHS
“IHS” is an abbreviation for the name “Jesus Christ” that is sometimes used as a symbol in the Christian tradition, particularly in western Christianity. “IHS” is a Latinized form of the first three letters of “Jesus” written in Greek, i.e. iota-eta-sigma.

60. Postcard printing process, for short : ROTO
“Roto” is a short for “rotogravure”, a photomechanical process used for printing pictures and some typeset matter. By extension, a “roto” was also a section of a paper printed using such a process, particularly a magazine section.

62. Essential element : SINE QUA NON
“Sine qua non” is a Latin phrase that we use to mean “the essential element or condition”. The literal translation is “without which not”. One might say, for example, “a challenging crossword is the sine qua non of a good newspaper”. Well, crossword fans might say that …

65. Treat since 1912 : OREO
The Oreo cookie was introduced in 1912. The Oreo was intended to be a competitor to the very similar Hydrox cookie which had debuted four years earlier. The Oreo won the resulting battle on the grocery store shelves …

67. Danny Ocean’s wife : TESS
“Ocean’s 11” is a great film from 1960, starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean. The original storyline is updated for the excellent 2001 remake, with George Clooney playing the lead. In the 1960 movie, the love interest is a character called Beatrice Ocean, played by Angie Dickinson. In the 2001 version, the love interest gets a new name, Tess Ocean, and is played by Julia Roberts. The 2001 remake (titled “Ocean’s Eleven”, note the spelling) spawned two sequels: “Ocean’s Twelve” in 2004 and “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007.

68. Group that rejected its 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction : SEX PISTOLS
The Sex Pistols were the group that introduced the punk movement to the UK, back in 1975. The Sex Pistols were very vocal in their opposition to the social norms of the time. One of their most famous singles is “God Save the Queen”, from 1977. The lyrics were considered so offensive that workers at the plant where the record was being pressed came out on strike rather than be associated with the song. When it was eventually released, the BBC went as far as banning the record, not something that happens very often.

Down
2. Biblical name meaning “exalted father” : ABRAM
According to the Book of Genesis, God said to Abram:

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

5. Suffix with Québéc : -OIS
The name “Québec” comes from an Algonquin word “kebec” meaning “where the river narrows”. This refers to the area around Quebec City where the St. Lawrence River narrows as it flows through a gap lined by steep cliffs.

6. Last name of a comic strip title teen : KETT
“Etta Kett” was a comic strip that first ran in 1925. The strip ceased to be published in 1974, when creator Paul Robinson passed away. The initial intent was to offer tips to teenagers on manners and social graces, hence the name of the title character Etta Kett (sounds like “etiquette”).

7. Alternative to Dasani or Deer Park : EVIAN
Évian-les-Bains (or simply Évian) is in the very east of France, on the shores of Lake Geneva directly across the lake from Lausanne, Switzerland. As one might imagine, Évian is the home of Évian mineral water, the most successful business in town. Personally, I can’t stand the distinctive taste of Évian water …

10. ___ Sea (Bay of Whales locale) : ROSS
The Ross Sea is a bay in the Southern Ocean of Antarctica. It was discovered by one James Ross in 1841. A more recent discovery, in the waters of the Ross Sea, was a 33 feet long giant squid that was captured in 2007.

11. Hibachi feature : GRATE
The traditional hibachi in Japan is a heating device, often a ceramic bowl or box that holds burning charcoal. This native type of hibachi isn’t used for cooking, but rather as a space heater (a brazier). Here in the US we use the term hibachi to refer to a charcoal grill used as a small cooking stove, which in Japanese would be called a “shichirin”. “Hibachi” is Japanese for “firepot” coming from “hi” meaning “fire”, and “bachi” meaning “bowl, pot”.

12. Song lyric following “But as long as you love me so” : LET IT SNOW
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” is a holiday song written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Perhaps a little ironically, the pair wrote the song in Hollywood, California in July 1945, on one of the hottest days of the year.

13. Opening for an E.P.A. worker? : OZONE HOLE
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 …

14. Opportunity, e.g. : MARS ROVER
There have been several rovers sent to Mars from Earth. The Soviet Union’s Mars 2 landed in 1971, and failed. Mars 3 landed the same year, and ceased operation just 20 seconds after landing. NASA’s Sojourner landed in 1997 (what a great day that was!) and operated from July through September. The British rover Beagle 2 was lost six days before its scheduled entry into the Martian atmosphere. NASA’s Spirit landed in 2004, and operated successful for over six years before getting trapped in sand and eventually ceasing to communicate. NASA’s Opportunity also landed in 2004, and it is still going. And then NASA’s Curiosity made a spectacular, hi-tech landing in 2012 and is continuing to explore the planet today.

22. Title princess of a comic opera : IDA
“Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant” is a Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera. It was first performed in 1884 at the Savoy Theatre in London that was famous for staging the duo’s works.

24. Wooley of “Rawhide” : SHEB
As well as having his huge hit in 1958 called “The Purple People Eater”, Sheb Wooley played Ben Miller in the movie “High Noon” and co-starred in the TV’s “Rawhide”, playing the role of Pete Nolan. Wooley also wrote the theme song for the long-running television show “Hee Haw”.

26. Helldiver, e.g. : GREBE
A grebe is a small to medium-sized freshwater diving bird. Although they appear to be very different, recent molecular studies have shown that grebes and flamingos are closely related.

31. Set of seven countries, informally : STANS
The suffix “-stan” in many place names is Persian for “place of”. One example is “Pakistan”, the Place of the Pure. “Pakistan” is a relatively recent name, first coined in 1933. It comes from the abbreviation PAKSTAN, standing for Punjab – Afghan Province – Kashmir – Sindh – BaluchisTAN, all regions in the north of India. The “I” was added to Pakistan to make it easier to pronounce, and to fit the translation “Land of the Pure”.

34. Something hammers hit : PIANO WIRE
In that most incredible of all instruments, the piano, sound is made by pressing keys on a keyboard. Each time a key is pressed a small hammer (covered in felt) strikes a steel string. The hammer rebounds off the string, and the string vibrates at its resonant frequency, making the sound that we all know so well.

35. Gives a gloss : ANNOTATES
One might annotate a text by creating a glossary, also known as a “gloss”.

36. Gerontologist’s subject : AGING
Gerontology is the study of all aspects of aging, including the biology, psychology and sociology. Geriatrics is the study of diseases encountered in older adults.

44. Alternative to Nytol : SOMINEX
Sominex is an over-the-counter sleeping aid containing an antihistamine that has hypnotic properties and so induces sleep.

Nytol is a brand name for the drug diphenhydramine which is primarily used as an antihistamine. The drug also has a strong hypnotic effect and is used by some people as a non-prescription sleep aid.

53. Maker of the Pocket Fisherman and Electric Food Dehydrator : RONCO
Ronco is a company the builds and sells products mainly for the kitchen. Over the years the company has been closely associated with the “-O-Matic” suffix, especially the “Veg-O-Matic” vegetable slicer. It is also associated with the phrase “set it and forget it”, which was used for Ronco’s Showtime Rotisserie Grill.

54. Midway, e.g. : ATOLL
Midway is an atoll lying in the North Pacific Ocean. It is located about one third of the way between Hawaii and Japan. The island was at the center of the Battle of Midway in WWII when the US Navy defeated a Japanese attack on the islands, which proved to be a major turning point in the war.

55. Dixie cakes : PONES
“Pone” is another word for corn bread, from the Powhatan word “apan” meaning “something baked”.

59. One of about 1,000 in Lux. : SQ MI
One square mile (sq. mi.) is the same as one mile square. However, ten square miles isn’t the same as ten miles square. Ten miles square is a square area with side of ten miles each, hence one hundred square miles (10 miles x 10 miles).

Luxembourg is a relatively small country in the middle of Europe, just 1,000 square miles in area with a population of over half a million. The country is a representative democracy (just like the United Kingdom) and it has a constitutional monarch, namely Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. As such, Luxembourg is the only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy in the world.

64. ___ Midway : USS
The latest USS Midway was an aircraft carrier that was launched in 1945. The Midway remained in service for 47 years, and was the flagship in the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. She was decommissioned in 1992 and can now be visited in Sand Diego as the USS Midway Museum.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Where to belt one down and belt one out : KARAOKE BAR
11. Latch (onto) : GLOM
15. Not-so-firm affirmative : I BELIEVE SO
16. Yasmina ___, two-time Tony-winning playwright : REZA
17. Ones hitting snares : DRUMSTICKS
18. Fabric finish? : -ATOR
19. Political pundit Perino : DANA
20. “Qué ___?” (“How are you?”: Sp.) : TAL
21. Demanding occupations? : SIT-INS
23. Means of forecasting : OMENS
25. It may be spiked in winter : NOG
27. Hamper : DETER
28. Sushi order : AHI
30. ___ Minor : URSA
32. Owner of Flix, in brief : SHO
33. Airhead : SPACE CADET
37. Mo. with All Saints’ Day : NOV
38. Cleans up : WINS BIG
39. Way down in Wayne Manor : BATPOLE
42. Relative of -ish or -ory : -EAN
43. Deliverer of the U.N. General Assembly speech “Atoms for Peace” : EISENHOWER
45. Musician with the 2016 album “The Ship” : ENO
46. View from the Ponte alla Carraia : ARNO
47. On, in Orléans : SUR
48. Lugs : TOTES
50. Terrain maker : GMC
52. Belt : STRAP
56. Bandage : SWATHE
58. Monogram for Christ : IHS
60. Postcard printing process, for short : ROTO
61. Essential element : PITH
62. Essential element : SINE QUA NON
65. Treat since 1912 : OREO
66. Popular ice pop : CREAMSICLE
67. Danny Ocean’s wife : TESS
68. Group that rejected its 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction : SEX PISTOLS

Down
1. Little buddy : KIDDO
2. Biblical name meaning “exalted father” : ABRAM
3. Get together after school? : REUNE
4. Often-replaced reference works : ALMANACS
5. Suffix with Québéc : -OIS
6. Last name of a comic strip title teen : KETT
7. Alternative to Dasani or Deer Park : EVIAN
8. Obscure : BECLOUD
9. Put it to : ASK
10. ___ Sea (Bay of Whales locale) : ROSS
11. Hibachi feature : GRATE
12. Song lyric following “But as long as you love me so” : LET IT SNOW
13. Opening for an E.P.A. worker? : OZONE HOLE
14. Opportunity, e.g. : MARS ROVER
22. Title princess of a comic opera : IDA
24. Wooley of “Rawhide” : SHEB
26. Helldiver, e.g. : GREBE
29. Like the Arctic Ocean vis-à-vis the Atlantic : ICIER
31. Set of seven countries, informally : STANS
33. Great point : SWEET SPOT
34. Something hammers hit : PIANO WIRE
35. Gives a gloss : ANNOTATES
36. Gerontologist’s subject : AGING
40. Accordingly : THUS
41. Landscape alternative : PORTRAIT
44. Alternative to Nytol : SOMINEX
46. 11-Down buildup : ASH
49. Community spirit : ETHOS
51. Like talk, it’s said : CHEAP
53. Maker of the Pocket Fisherman and Electric Food Dehydrator : RONCO
54. Midway, e.g. : ATOLL
55. Dixie cakes : PONES
57. Some PC keys : ESCS
59. One of about 1,000 in Lux. : SQ MI
63. Severe soreness : IRE
64. ___ Midway : USS

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