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Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
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CROSSWORD SETTER: Chuck Deodene
THEME: Party Down
Each of today’s themed answers has a hidden word that is a synonym of PARTY. Those words are written in the DOWN-direction and are shown by circled letters in the grid:
21D. Really revel … or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters : PARTY DOWN
3D. Vegetarianism or bohemianism : LIFESTYLE CHOICE (hiding “fest”)
5D. Source of faraway X-rays : RADIO GALAXY (hiding “gala”)
11D. Spot for a food fight : SCHOOL CAFETERIA (hiding “fete”)
25D. Indiana/Illinois separator : WABASH RIVER (hiding “bash”)
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 6m 15s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
7. Sauce often used in a Bloody Mary : TABASCO
Edward McIlhenny created the first Tabasco Sauce in 1868. He recycled old cologne bottles as a container for the sauce so that he could present it to friends, and when he went into business he ordered new cologne bottles for the commercial product. Even today, the Tabasco Sauce bottle bears a striking resemblance to the bottle used to distribute 4711 cologne.
The Bloody Mary is one of my favorite cocktails, perhaps because it seems to taste so differently depending on who makes it. It has numerous ingredients above and beyond the requisite vodka and tomato juice, and has been described as “the world’s most complex cocktail”.
14. Port-au-Prince resident : HAITIAN
Port-au-Prince is the capital of Haiti. The city was hit by a devastating earthquake in January of 2010. The official government estimate of the death toll stands at 230,000 people, with many bodies never recovered.
17. Call from a football referee : OFFSIDE
That would be in a sport like football, or soccer perhaps.
19. Onion relative used in soups : LEEK
The leek is a vegetable closely related to the onion and the garlic. It is also a national emblem of Wales (along with the daffodil), although I don’t think we know for sure how this came to be. One story is that the Welsh were ordered to wear leeks in their helmets to identify themselves in a battle against the Saxons. Apparently, the battle took place in a field of leeks.
23. M.R.I. orderers : DRS
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses powerful magnetic fields to generate its images so there is no exposure to ionizing radiation (such as X-rays). We used MRI equipment in our chemistry labs at school, way back in the days when the technology was still called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (NMRI). Apparently the marketing folks didn’t like the term “nuclear” because of its association with atomic bombs, so now it’s just called MRI.
24. Versatile bean : SOYA
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”.
25. Texas site of a 1993 siege : WACO
In recent years, Waco is perhaps most famous as the site of a siege and shootout between ATF agents and members of the Protestant sect known as the Branch Davidians. Shortly after ATF agents tried to execute a search warrant, shots were fired and at the end of the fight six people inside the Branch Davidian compound were dead, as were four agents. A fifty-day siege ensued at the end of which a final assault resulted in members of the community setting fire to the compound. Only nine people walked away from that fire. 50 adults and 25 children perished.
31. Caustic agent : 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 …
34. Japan’s largest company by revenue : TOYOTA
In the US, the Big Three automotive manufacturers are General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. The equivalent Big Three in Germany are Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and in Japan are Toyota, Nissan and Honda.
36. Crops used in making cigarettes : TOBACCOS
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable disease in the world.
39. Classic Eric Clapton song about unrequited love : LAYLA
“Layla” is one of the great rock anthems of the seventies, released by Derek and the Dominos in December of 1970. It is a masterpiece of composition, with the first half of the song a great vehicle for the guitar-playing talents of Eric Clapton. The second half is a beautifully melodic piano coda (a coda … taking up half the length of the track!). To top things off we have the “unplugged” version recorded by Clapton in 1992, a fabulous and inventive variation on the original.
Layla, you’ve got me on my knees.
Layla, I’m begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won’t you ease my worried mind.
47. World’s fair, e.g. : EXPO
The first “World’s Fair” was held in 1851, known back then as the “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations”. The fair was the idea of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. It was held in a magnificent glass and cast-iron structure called the Crystal Palace that was purpose-built for the occasion. The “Great Exhibition” spawned a tradition of what became known as World’s Fairs, expositions that feature national pavilions created by participating countries.
49. Like the water in a baptism : HOLY
Baptism is a rite in Christian traditions admitting a candidate, often an infant, into the Church. The ceremony usually uses water as a sign of purification. Water may be poured on the head, or the candidate may be totally immersed in water.
53. ___ talks (lecture series) : TED
The acronym TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. TED is a set of conferences held around the world by a non-profit group called the Sapling Foundation. The conference subjects are varied, and the meetings are often led by big names such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Jane Goodall. The Sapling Foundation then makes recordings of the conferences available for free online with the intent of disseminating the ideas globally. These conferences are known as “TED Talks”.
59. It’s made up of DNA : GENE
DNA contains nucleotide base sequences called genes, which are blueprints used in the manufacture of proteins needed by the body. Our DNA is also “decorated” with epigenetic markers that modify the activity level of genes, and can even turn genes off. These epigenetic markers respond to environmental conditions, so that organisms with the same DNA can exhibit differences in behavior and appearance, as a result of differing environments. This explains why identical twins develop differences in appearance over time.
60. Message that might end “R.I.P.” : EPITAPH
Our word “epitaph” ultimately comes from the Greek “epitaphion”, the word for a funeral oration.
65. 17-year insects : CICADAS
There is a genus of cicada known as the periodic cicada that spends most of its life underground feeding on the roots of trees. They are described as periodic because mature cicada nymphs emerge from the ground in great numbers every 13 or 17 years and are active for just 4-6 weeks. While above ground, the males chirp away to attract mates and fertilized females lay eggs. When the reproductive cycle is complete, the adult cicadas “disappear” for another 13 or 17 years.
68. Monterrey Mrs. : SRA
Monterrey is a Mexican city, the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon in the northeast of the country. Monterrey is the second largest city in Mexico in terms of area, but third largest in terms of population (the largest area city in the country is Mexico City, and the most populous are Mexico City and Guadalajara).
Down
2. Communion tidbit : WAFER
The Communion rite is the part of the Mass in the Roman Catholic tradition. The rite involves distribution of the Communion bread (the host, a wafer) to the faithful.
3. Vegetarianism or bohemianism : LIFESTYLE CHOICE
Bohemia covers most of the Czech Republic. Centuries ago, it was wrongly believed that gypsies came from Bohemia, giving rise to the term “Bohemian” meaning a “gypsy of society”.
4. Three on a grandfather clock : III
There are several sizes of “longcase clocks”, tall, freestanding clocks driven by a pendulum swinging inside a tower below the clock face. A longcase clock over 6 feet tall is called a grandfather, and one below five feet is a granddaughter, One that falls between five and six feet is known as a grandmother. The name of the clock derives from an 1876 song called “My Grandfather’s Clock”.
5. Source of faraway X-rays : RADIO GALAXY
Radio galaxies are those galaxies that are a strong source of radio waves. I guess that’s obvious …
7. Pantry containers : TINS
The word “pantry” dates back to 1300 when it came into English from the Old French “panetrie” meaning a “bread room”. Bread is “pain” in French, and “panis” in Latin.
9. Web crawler, e.g. : BOT
A bot is computer program that is designed to imitate human behavior. It might “crawl” around the Web doing searches for example, or it might participate in discussions in chat rooms by giving pre-programmed responses. It might also act as a competitor in a computer game.
10. Web-filled room, often : ATTIC
An attic or loft is a room or space located below the roof of a building. The term “attic” is a shortened form of “attic story”, the uppermost story or level of a house. This term “attic story” originally applied to a low, decorative level built on top of the uppermost story behind a building’s decorative facade. This use of decoration at the top of buildings was common in ancient Greece, and was particularly important in the Attica style. That Attica style was so called because it originated in the historical region of Attica that encompassed the city of Athens. And that’s how our attics are linked to ancient Greece.
12. Jackie of “Shanghai Knights” : CHAN
“Shanghai Knights” is a 2003 sequel to to the 2000 movie “Shanghai Noon”. Both movies star Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson.
13. Honey Bunches of ___ : OATS
Honey Bunches of Oats is a breakfast cereal made by Post Foods.
25. Indiana/Illinois separator : WABASH RIVER
The Wabash River is the largest northern tributary of the Ohio River. The Wabash is the state river of Indiana, and forms much of the border between the Indiana and Illinois. The river takes its name from the French “Ouabache”, a word that French traders adopted from a Miami Indian word meaning “it shines white”.
30. Kurtz’s rank in “Apocalypse Now”: Abbr. : COL
The epic war drama “Apocalypse Now” was released in 1979 and starred Martin Sheen as Captain Willard and Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz. The premise of the film is that both Willard and Kurtz are special ops officers, with Willard sent into the jungle to assassinate Kurtz who has “gone rogue”. The film is notorious for the trouble that director Francis Ford Coppola had completing the shoot. Brando turned up on set grossly overweight (as a special ops guy!), and poor Martin Sheen had a heart attack during filming.
33. To be, to Tacitus : ESSE
Gaius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman historian and senator. He wrote two major histories, “Annals” and “Histories”, that cover the history of the Roman Emperor from 14 to 70 AD.
35. Orchestra reed : OBOE
The oboe is perhaps my favorite of the reed instruments. The name “oboe” comes from the French “hautbois” which means “high wood”. When you hear an orchestra tuning before a performance you’ll note (pun intended!) that the oboe starts off the process by playing an “A”. The rest of the musicians in turn tune to that oboe’s “A”.
40. Swiss mount : ALP
There are eight Alpine countries:
- Austria
- Slovenia
- France
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
- Germany
- Monaco
- Italy
43. ___ Paese (variety of cheese) : BEL
Bel Paese is a mild Italian cheese that was developed in 1906. The name “bel paese” means beautiful country in Italian, and is taken from the title of a book written by Antonio Stoppani.
52. Things split in fission : ATOMS
There are two classes of nuclear weapons, both of which get the energy for the explosion from nuclear reactions. The first nuclear bombs developed, called atomic bombs (A-bombs), use fission reactions. Uranium nuclei are split into smaller nuclei with the release of an awful lot of energy in the process. The second class of nuclear weapons are fusion bombs. These devices are called thermonuclear weapons or hydrogen bombs (H-bombs). In a fusion reaction, the nuclei of hydrogen isotopes are fused together to form bigger nuclei, with the release of even greater amounts of energy.
57. Mayberry boy : OPIE
Opie Taylor is the character played by Ron Howard on “The Andy Griffith Show”. Opie lives with widowed father Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) and his great-aunt Beatrice “Aunt Bee” Taylor (played by Frances Bavier). Ron Howard first played the role in 1960 in the pilot show, when he was just 5 years old. Howard sure has come a long way since playing Opie Taylor. He has directed some fabulous movies including favorites of mine like “Apollo 13”, “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Da Vinci Code”.
Mayberry is the fictional North Carolina town in which the “The Andy Griffith Show” is set. Mayberry is said to based on Griffith’s own hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina.
58. “I understand,” facetiously : AHSO
The slang term “ahso” is used in American English to mean “I see”. The term derives from the Japanese expression “Ah so desu ka” meaning “Oh, that’s how it is”.
64. When a plane is due in, for short : ETA
Expected time of arrival (ETA)
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Leatherworker’s tool : AWL
4. Wrath : IRE
7. Sauce often used in a Bloody Mary : TABASCO
14. Port-au-Prince resident : HAITIAN
16. “Um-hmm, O.K.” : I GOTCHA
17. Call from a football referee : OFFSIDE
18. “Please! Anything but!” : NOT THAT!
19. Onion relative used in soups : LEEK
20. Little troublemakers : IMPS
22. Charged particles : IONS
23. M.R.I. orderers : DRS
24. Versatile bean : SOYA
25. Texas site of a 1993 siege : WACO
27. Itsy-bitsy branch : TWIG
29. Some DVD players : RCAS
31. Caustic agent : LYE
34. Japan’s largest company by revenue : TOYOTA
36. Crops used in making cigarettes : TOBACCOS
38. Ready, willing and ___ : ABLE
39. Classic Eric Clapton song about unrequited love : LAYLA
41. Statutes : LAWS
42. Loses one’s hair : GOES BALD
44. Hold back, as a yawn : STIFLE
46. Moment, informally : SEC
47. World’s fair, e.g. : EXPO
48. Wish : HOPE
49. Like the water in a baptism : HOLY
51. Get bent out of shape : WARP
53. ___ talks (lecture series) : TED
56. Busy time at the drive-thru : NOON
58. Nay voter : ANTI
59. It’s made up of DNA : GENE
60. Message that might end “R.I.P.” : EPITAPH
63. Invaded in large numbers : OVERRAN
65. 17-year insects : CICADAS
66. Standards by which things are measured : METRICS
67. Follows, as a schedule : KEEPS TO
68. Monterrey Mrs. : SRA
69. Consumed : ATE
Down
1. Get ___ of (grasp) : A HOLD
2. Communion tidbit : WAFER
3. Vegetarianism or bohemianism : LIFESTYLE CHOICE
4. Three on a grandfather clock : III
5. Source of faraway X-rays : RADIO GALAXY
6. Foe : ENEMY
7. Pantry containers : TINS
8. Long, long ___ : AGO
9. Web crawler, e.g. : BOT
10. Web-filled room, often : ATTIC
11. Spot for a food fight : SCHOOL CAFETERIA
12. Jackie of “Shanghai Knights” : CHAN
13. Honey Bunches of ___ : OATS
15. “Shameful!” : TSK!
21. Really revel … or a hint to the words formed by the circled letters : PARTY DOWN
24. Take a chair : SIT
25. Indiana/Illinois separator : WABASH RIVER
26. White ___ sheet : AS A
28. Troubles : WOES
30. Kurtz’s rank in “Apocalypse Now”: Abbr. : COL
32. Mournful cry : YOWL
33. To be, to Tacitus : ESSE
34. Little things that say “To” and “From” : TAGS
35. Orchestra reed : OBOE
37. Scissor cut : CLIP
40. Swiss mount : ALP
43. ___ Paese (variety of cheese) : BEL
45. Spinning toy : TOP
50. Like beer that’s not in a bottle : ON TAP
52. Things split in fission : ATOMS
54. Make into 41-Across : ENACT
55. Not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree : DENSE
56. Part bitten by a vampire : NECK
57. Mayberry boy : OPIE
58. “I understand,” facetiously : AHSO
59. Hound’s warning : GRR!
61. Many online banners : ADS
62. Bit of butter : PAT
64. When a plane is due in, for short : ETA
8:00, no errors. Did it late last night on auto-pilot, half-asleep after a long day, and totally missed the theme. (In fact, when I looked at the puzzle just now, my first thought was, "I've never seen this puzzle before!" Sometimes I really worry about myself … 🙂
Pretty easy Monday grid….but that's what Monday grids are for. A lot of interesting stuff in it anyway.
Best-
No errors. A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle.
Lots of PARTYing going on here, which is a bit tough to take on Monday morning after Super Bowl Sunday out here in syndiland. And what a game it was! The ads were quite different from past ones, and Lady GAGA's half-time show was a blast.
8:04, no errors. Monday sprint with a theme, nice.
6:17, no errors. Bill nipped me by two seconds this time!!! ***Arrrrgh!***
Fun, and the theme wasn't too forced….
Zero errors. Didn't get a time for where/when I did it, but it went relatively fast.