1122-16 New York Times Crossword Answers 22 Nov 16, Tuesday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Andrew Zhou
THEME: Non-Kosher
Each of today’s themed answers contains a hidden word, and that word describes a NON-KOSHER food item:

57A. Like the four things named in the shaded squares : NON-KOSHER

18A. When you get it : AHA MOMENT (hiding “ham”)
23A. Something might be brought back by this : POPULAR DEMAND (hiding “lard”)
37A. Versatile eating implement : SPORK (hiding “pork”)
47A. Eastern or Western, for hoopsters : NBA CONFERENCE (hiding “bacon”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 8m 03s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Musical talent, informally : CHOPS
We use the word “chops” to mean “expertise” as in the phrases “showing his chops” and “having the chops”, meaning showing his expertise, having the expertise. This usage evolved from the use of the word “chops” for the mouth, jaw or lips, which dates back to the the 1700s. The more contemporary usage dates back to the 1940s when jazz musicians referred to the skill of a player with reference to their use of the lips on an instrument.

15. When doubled, a South Seas island : BORA
Bora Bora is one of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The name “Bora Bora” is imitative of the Tahitian name for the island and should really be pronounced “pora pora”. “Bora bora” translates as “first born”.

16. Mineral in layers : MICA
Mica is a mineral, a sheet silicate. Thin sheets of mica are transparent and are used in place of glass in certain applications. This form of mica is called isinglass, and as it has a better thermal performance than glass it is a great choice for “peepholes’ in boilers and lanterns. Mica is also used in the electronics industry, making use of its unique electrical and thermal insulating properties.

17. Memorable 2011 hurricane : IRENE
Hurricane Irene caused extensive flooding in 2011 as it travelled through the Caribbean, up the East Coast of the United States and into the Atlantic seaboard of Canada. The hurricane was unusual in that it came so far up north. Fifty-five deaths were attributed to Irene.

21. Talking horse of 1960s TV : MR ED
The sitcom “Mister Ed” first aired in 1961 and ran for almost five years. It was a very successful show (and even made it to Ireland!). Mister Ed, the talking horse, was a palomino that had the real name of Bamboo Harvester. Mister Ed’s “voice” was that of actor Allan “Rocky” Lane, a star of a lot of B-movie westerns from the forties and fifties. In the show, Mister Ed would only talk to the lead (human) character Wilbur, played by Alan Young, leading to some hilarious situations. Mister Ed had a stunt double and stand-in for the show, another horse called Pumpkin. Pumpkin later made frequent appearances on the show “Green Acres”.

23. Something might be brought back by this : POPULAR DEMAND (hiding “lard”)
Fat, when extracted from the carcass of an animal, is called “suet”. Untreated suet decomposes at room temperature quite easily so it has to be “rendered” or purified to make it stable. Rendered fat from pigs is what we call “lard”. Rendered beef or mutton fat is known as “tallow”.

26. Voodoo spell : MOJO
The word “mojo”, meaning magical charm or magnetism, is probably of Creole origin.

Voodoo is a religion that originated the French slave colony of Saint-Domingue on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

28. Dallas cager, informally : MAV
The Mavericks are the NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.

37. Versatile eating implement : SPORK (hiding “pork”)
“Spork” is the more common name for the utensil that is a hybrid between a spoon and a fork. It is less commonly referred to as a “foon”.

46. Grace ender : AMEN
A “grace” is a short prayer recited before or after a meal.

53. “Carmen” setting : SPAIN
When Georges Bizet wrote his famous opera “Carmen”, he used the melody of what he thought was an old folk song as a theme in the lovely aria “the Habanera”. Not long after he finished “Carmen” he discovered that the folk song was in fact a piece that had been written by another composer, who had died just ten years before “Carmen” was published. Fittingly, Bizet added a note to the score, declaring the original source.

55. The Canadian loonie or toonie, e.g. : COIN
“Toonie” is the familiar name for a two-dollar coin in Canada. A kind blog reader pointed out that the one-dollar bill was replaced with the “loonie” coin, a nickname that comes from the “loon” bird that is on one side of the coin.

57. Like the four things named in the shaded squares : NON-KOSHER
According to Jewish dietary law, “kosher” food is fit to eat, and food that is not fit to eat is referred to as “treif” (or tref).

60. Shoppe descriptor : OLDE
The word “olde” wasn’t actually used much earlier than the 1920s. “Olde” was introduced to give a quaint antique feel to brand names, shop names etc. as in “Ye Olde Shoppe”.

62. Onetime arcade giant : ATARI
At one point, the electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was the fastest growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

65. Opposite of 57-Across, to Muslims : HALAL
(57. Like the four things named in the shaded squares : NON-KOSHER)
“Halal” is a term for an action or object that is permissible under Islamic Law. In particular “halal” is used to describe food that can be consumed. Anything that is not allowed is described as “haraam”.

Down
1. Cousin of a cobbler : CRISP
The dessert called “cobbler” originated in colonial America when settlers invented it as a substitute for suet pudding as they didn’t have the necessary ingredients to make the more traditional dish. Instead, they stewed fruit and covered it with a layer of uncooked scones or biscuits, creating a surface that resembled a “cobbled” street, hence the name.

2. One of the Marx Brothers : HARPO
Harpo Marx was the second oldest of the Marx brothers. Harpo’s real name was Adolph, and he earned his nickname because he played the harp. Famously, Harpe didn’t speak on screen, a routine that he developed after reading a review that he performed really well when he just didn’t speak! He would usually whistle or toot a hand-held horn instead of speaking.

4. What’s punched into an A.T.M., redundantly : PIN NUMBER
One enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN) when using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Given that the N in PIN stands for “number”, then PIN number is a redundant phrase. And, given that the M in ATM stands for “machine”, then ATM machine is a redundant phrase as well. Grr …!

5. Sault ___ Marie, Ont. : STE
Sault Ste. Marie is the name of two cities on either side of the Canada-US border, one in Ontario and the other in Michigan. The two cities were originally one settlement in the 17th century, established by Jesuit Missionaries. The missionaries gave the settlement the name “Sault Sainte Marie”, which can be translated as “Saint Mary’s Falls”. The city was one community until 1817, when a US-UK Joint Boundary Commission set the border along the St. Mary’s River.

6. Pizza chain found in many food courts : SBARRO
The Sbarro chain of pizza restaurants was founded by Italian immigrants, Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro.

9. Film character who was asked to “Play it” : SAM
There is a famous exchange in the movie “Casablanca” that results in the piano player Sam singing “As Time Goes By”.

Ilsa: Play it once, Sam. For old times’ sake.
Sam: I don’t know what you mean, Miss Ilsa.
Ilsa: Play it, Sam. Play “As Time Goes By.”
Sam: Oh, I can’t remember it, Miss Ilsa. I’m a little rusty on it.
Ilsa: I’ll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum…
Ilsa: Sing it, Sam.

10. Capital of Jordan : AMMAN
Amman is the capital city of Jordan, and is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Amman has been occupied by a number of different civilizations over the centuries, including the Greeks who called it Philadelphia, a name retained by the Romans when they occupied the city just after 100 AD.

12. Proactiv target : ACNE
The Proactiv range of skincare products were introduced in 1995 by two dermatologists who met up with each other while studying at Stanford. Proactiv is market to people suffering with acne. There are quite a few folks who complain about the direct marketing approach to sales used for the products. Customers are “members” of a club, and the products keep coming until a subscription is canceled.

19. Mideast’s Gulf of ___ : OMAN
The Gulf of Oman isn’t actually a gulf, and rather is a strait, connecting the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Hormuz and onto the Persian Gulf.

21. ___ Theater, venue of “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running production in Broadway history : MAJESTIC
I’m a bit jaded with big stage musicals I must admit, but I will always have time for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece “The Phantom of the Opera”. “Phantom …” is the longest running musical in the history of Broadway, and deservedly so. And now there is a sequel, which I would dearly love to see, so let’s hope it gets over here soon. “Love Never Dies” opened in the West End in London in March 2010, and a North American tour is planned for 2017/18.

24. “Haha, u r hilarious” : LOL
Laugh out loud (LOL)

29. Belligerent Greek god : ARES
The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos, Deimos and Eros. The Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

33. Old radio show set in Harlem : AMOS ‘N’ ANDY
“Amos ‘n’ Andy” was originally a radio sitcom that was on the air from the twenties right up to the fifties. It was about Amos Jones and Andy Brown, two farm workers from outside Atlanta who head to Chicago to make good for themselves. They eventually start up the Fresh Air Taxi Company. The show was somewhat groundbreaking for the time, as it depicted African Americans for the first time in positions of influence as business owners. There was a TV adaptation that aired from 1951 to 1953 and ran in syndication right up to 1966. I have never seen/heard the show, but it sounds like it is a classic …

34. MSNBC’s “Morning ___” : JOE
“Morning Joe” is a show broadcast by MSNBC each weekday morning. It is hosted by Joe Scarborough, and first went on the air in 2007. Given the name of the show, Starbucks were very content being the show’s sponsor from 2009 through 2013, and got lots of product placement.

35. Garrison Keillor’s home state : MINNESOTA
The amazing humorist Garrison Keillor is one of Minnesota’s most famous sons. Keillor’s wonderful radio show called “A Prairie Home Companion” made its debut in 1974 and is named after the Prairie Home Cemetery in Moorhead, Minnesota. I actually saw a live taping of “A Prairie Home Companion” a few years ago in San Francisco and thoroughly enjoyed the experience …

38. Trick-taking game with a 48-card deck : PINOCHLE
Pinochle is a card game that was developed from the 19th-century French game called bezique.

43. ___ Lingus : AER
Aer Lingus is my favorite airline! Well, the service isn’t that great, but when I get on board an Aer Lingus plane I feel like I am back in Ireland. Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland, with “Aer Lingus” being a phonetic spelling of the Irish “aer-loingeas” meaning “air fleet”. These days Aer Lingus can only lay claim to the title of Ireland’s oldest airline as it is no longer the biggest. That honor goes to the controversial budget airline called Ryanair.

48. Tour de France sights : BIKES
Back in the late 1800s, long-distance cycle races were used as promotional events, traditionally to help boost sales of newspapers. These races usually took place around tracks, but in 1902 the backers of the struggling sports publication “L’Auto” decided to stage a race that would take the competitors all around France. That first Tour de France took place in 1903, starting in Paris and passing through Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes and then back to Paris.

49. Carolers’ repertoire : NOELS
“Noël” is the French word for the Christmas season, ultimately coming from the Latin word for “birth” (natalis). Noel has come to be used as an alternative name for a Christmas carol.

50. Himalayan land : NEPAL
Nepal lies to the northeast of India. Today, the state is known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. In 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal won the country’s general election. Soon after, the Assembly voted to change the form of government, moving away from a monarchy and creating a secular republic.

51. Frank who directed “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” : CAPRA
I can’t tell you how many of Frank Capra’s movies are on my list of all-time favorites. He directed such classics as “It Happened One Night”, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”, “Lost Horizon”, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, “Meet John Doe”, “Arsenic and Old Lace” and the holiday favorite “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Capra was the first person to win three directorial Oscars: for “It Happened One Night”, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” and “You Can’t Take It With You”. Capra also did his bit during WWII, enlisting just a few days after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Given his great talent, and the fact that he enlisted at the relatively advanced age of 44, the US Army put him to work directing 11 documentary war films in the “Why We Fight” series, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is yet another great film directed by Frank Capra. The title role is played by James Stewart, alongside Jean Arthur. When the film was premiered in the nation’s capital in 1939, the list of guests included 45 US Senators. Not many of the senators liked the movie at all, and some attacked it as anti-American and pro-Communist propaganda because it portrayed corruption in Washington.

52. Kind of client : EMAIL
In the world of computer science, a computer accessing a service is called a “client”. The service is provided on a computer called a “server”. These days, clients and servers often communicate via the Internet. I am typing up this blog post on my laptop (the client) and am connected via the Internet to the Google Drive service that resides on a computer somewhere (the server).

54. Preppy shirt : POLO
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer, born Ralph Liftshitz in the Bronx, New York. Lauren started off working as a salesman for Brooks Brothers after spending two years in the US Army. He then opened a necktie store, featuring his own tie designs. The ties were sold under the name “Polo”, which became Lauren’s most famous brand. Other Lauren brands are Purple Label and Black Label.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Musical talent, informally : CHOPS
6. Drunkards : SOTS
10. Quite a ways away : AFAR
14. Rehearsed a piece through from start to finish, in theater lingo : RAN IT
15. When doubled, a South Seas island : BORA
16. Mineral in layers : MICA
17. Memorable 2011 hurricane : IRENE
18. When you get it : AHA MOMENT (hiding “ham”)
20. Like yarn : SPUN
21. Talking horse of 1960s TV : MR ED
22. Cock and bull : MALES
23. Something might be brought back by this : POPULAR DEMAND (hiding “lard”)
26. Voodoo spell : MOJO
27. Ashen : WAN
28. Dallas cager, informally : MAV
31. In working order : USABLE
34. Marmalade container : JAR
35. Mud : MIRE
36. “Where the heart is” : HOME
37. Versatile eating implement : SPORK (hiding “pork”)
39. Decorates, as a cake : ICES
40. Scent : ODOR
41. Knot : TIE
42. Most sensible : SANEST
44. Possesses : HAS
45. Max’s opposite : MIN
46. Grace ender : AMEN
47. Eastern or Western, for hoopsters : NBA CONFERENCE (hiding “bacon”)
53. “Carmen” setting : SPAIN
55. The Canadian loonie or toonie, e.g. : COIN
56. Meeting point for tailors? : SEAM
57. Like the four things named in the shaded squares : NON-KOSHER
59. Momma’s partner : POPPA
60. Shoppe descriptor : OLDE
61. Woes : ILLS
62. Onetime arcade giant : ATARI
63. Word before and after “will be” : BOYS
64. Casual sign-off in a letter : BEST
65. Opposite of 57-Across, to Muslims : HALAL

Down
1. Cousin of a cobbler : CRISP
2. One of the Marx Brothers : HARPO
3. Outdo : ONE-UP
4. What’s punched into an A.T.M., redundantly : PIN NUMBER
5. Sault ___ Marie, Ont. : STE
6. Pizza chain found in many food courts : SBARRO
7. Expressed amazement : OOHED
8. It might involve mutual raising of tariffs : TRADE WAR
9. Film character who was asked to “Play it” : SAM
10. Capital of Jordan : AMMAN
11. Dark brown rodents with long tails and large eyes : FIELD MICE
12. Proactiv target : ACNE
13. “Darn!” : RATS!
19. Mideast’s Gulf of ___ : OMAN
21. ___ Theater, venue of “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running production in Broadway history : MAJESTIC
24. “Haha, u r hilarious” : LOL
25. Crack shooters : MARKSMEN
29. Belligerent Greek god : ARES
30. Sweater ___ : VEST
31. “This doesn’t look good” : UH-OH
32. Coke or Pepsi : SODA
33. Old radio show set in Harlem : AMOS ‘N’ ANDY
34. MSNBC’s “Morning ___” : JOE
35. Garrison Keillor’s home state : MINNESOTA
38. Trick-taking game with a 48-card deck : PINOCHLE
43. ___ Lingus : AER
45. Hand, to Javier : MANO
46. Something record-breaking : A FIRST
48. Tour de France sights : BIKES
49. Carolers’ repertoire : NOELS
50. Himalayan land : NEPAL
51. Frank who directed “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” : CAPRA
52. Kind of client : EMAIL
53. Elitist sort : SNOB
54. Preppy shirt : POLO
58. Bro or sis : SIB
59. Musical syllable after “oom” : PAH

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