0114-17 New York Times Crossword Answers 14 Jan 17, Saturday

QuickLinks:
Solution to today’s crossword in the New York Times
Solution to today’s SYNDICATED New York Times crossword in all other publications
Solution to today’s New York Times crossword found online at the Seattle Times website
Jump to a complete list of today’s clues and answers

CROSSWORD SETTER: Andrew Kingsley
THEME: None
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 15m 38s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

14. Time Lords, e.g. : ALIEN RACE
The Time Lords are an alien race on the BBC sci-fi show “Doctor Who”. In fact, the title character, known as “the Doctor”, is a Time Lord.

15. Kimchi solution : BRINE
Kimchi is a traditional dish from Korea. The original kimchi is made from fermented vegetables, and is pretty strong stuff …

18. Roast figures : MCS
The term “emcee” comes from “MC”, an initialism standing for Master or Mistress of Ceremonies.

19. Anchovy or sand eel : SPRAT
A sprat is a forage fish that travels in large schools with other species of fish, and that looks like a baby sardine. Although sprats are found all over the world, they are particularly associated with the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.

23. X factor? : SEX
In most mammalian species, including man, females have two identical sex chromosomes (XX) and males two distinct sex chromosomes (XY). As a result it is the males who determine the sex of the offspring. However, in birds the opposite is true and so females determine the sex of the chicks.

27. Celebrity ex of Bruce and Ashton : DEMI
Demi Moore was born Demetria Guynes and took the name Demi Moore when she married her first husband, Freddy Moore. Moore’s second husband was Bruce Willis. She changed her name to Demi Guynes Kutcher a few years after marrying her third husband, Ashton Kutcher. But, Kutcher and Moore split in 2013.

32. 1978 Nobel sharer : SADAT
Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt right up to the time of his assassination in 1981. Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for the role played in crafting the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1978 at Camp David. It was this agreement that largely led to Sadat’s assassination three years later.

39. Part of a Guardian Angel’s attire : BERET
The Guardian Angels is an organization of unarmed volunteers who patrol high-crime areas and make citizen arrests when necessary. The group was founded in 1979 and originally focused on patrols of the New York City subway system. Now there are Guardian Angels operating in 15 countries and 144 cities around the world. You might recognize a Guardian Angel from his or her distinctive red beret.

41. Roast figures : FRIARS
The Friars Club is a private show-business club in New York City that has roots dating back to 1904. Back then the club was called the Press Agents Association. Within a few years the name was changed to reflect its broadening membership of actors and musicians. The name “Friar” was chosen as it comes from the Latin for “brother”, deemed to a good name for a fraternal organization. Famously, the Friars Club hosts events in which a celebrity is “roasted” by a panel of comedians and show business VIPs.

43. Comic who was the 2012 presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party : BARR
The comedian Roseanne Barr is perhaps best known as the star of her own sitcom called “Roseanne” in which she played the character Roseanne Conner. In 2012 Barr unsuccessfully vied for the Green Party’s nomination for US President. She didn’t give up though, and was successful in winning the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party. In the 2012 presidential election she earned over 60,000 votes, and placed sixth in the list of candidates.

46. Bangkok banknotes : BAHT
The baht is the currency of Thailand, and is subdivided into 100 satang.

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. The exact etymology of the name “Bangkok” seems unclear, although “bang” is a Thai word meaning “a village situated on a stream”.

48. Join the club, in Canterbury : ENROL
Canterbury is a city in the southeast of England in the county of Kent. Canterbury is famous for Canterbury Cathedral where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, making it a pilgrimage destination for Christians. It was one of these pilgrimages that was the inspiration for Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” written in the 14th century.

51. Mother of the wind gods : EOS
In Greek mythology, Eos is the goddess of the dawn who lived at the edge of the ocean. Eos would wake each morning to welcome her brother Helios the sun. The Roman equivalent of Eos is Aurora.

54. Cousin of ibid. : OP CIT
Op. cit. is short for “opus citatum”, Latin for “the work cited”. Op. cit. is used in footnotes to refer the reader to an earlier citation. It is similar to “ibid”, except that ibid refers the reader to the last citation, the one immediately above.

58. Davis of “The Accidental Tourist” : GEENA
As well as being a successful Hollywood actress, Geena Davis is an accomplished archer and came close to qualifying for the US archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Davis is also a member of American Mensa. She is quite the lady …

“The Accidental Tourist” is a novel by Anne Tyler, first published in 1985. The book was famously adapted into a 1988 movie starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis (who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance).

61. Mock wedding setting in Shakespeare : ARDEN
The Forest of Arden is the setting for Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”. Even though there is a Forest of Arden surrounding Shakespeare’s home town of Stratford-on-Avon, as the play is set in France one has to assume that the “As You Like It” Arden is an anglicization of the forested “Ardennes” region that stretches from Belgium into France.

63. Bracket position : SEED
A “seeded” player or team in a tournament is one given a preliminary ranking that is used in the initial draw. The intention is that the better competitors do are less likely to meet each other in the early rounds.

Down
1. Carpaccio, e.g. : RAW MEAT
Carpaccio can be meat or fish. It is sliced very thinly, or may be pounded until it is thin, and then served raw. Carpaccio is a relatively contemporary dish, first served in 1950 to a countess in Venice, Italy. The lady informed the restaurant owner that her doctor had advised her to eat only raw meat, so she was served thin slices of uncooked beef in a mustard sauce. The owner of the restaurant thought that the colors of the dish reminded him of paintings by Vittore Carpaccio, so he gave it the name “Carpaccio”. So the story goes anyway …

4. Like the lower half of Haiti’s flag : RED
15. Like the upper half of Haiti’s flag : BLUE
The national flag of Haiti comprises two horizontal bands of color, with blue on top and red on the bottom. The center of the flag features a white panel bearing the country’s coat of arms.

5. Georges : ONES
I guess “George” is slang for a one-dollar bill.

The nation’s first president, George Washington, is on the US one-dollar bills produced today. However, when the first one-dollar bill was issued in 1863, it featured a portrait of Salmon P. Chase, President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury.

6. Game with an official called a stickman : CRAPS
If one considers earlier versions of craps, then the game has been around for a very long time and probably dates back to the Crusades. It may have been derived from an old English game called “hazard” also played with two dice, which was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” from the 1300s. The American version of the game came here courtesy of the French and first set root in New Orleans where it was given the name “crapaud”, a French word meaning “toad”.

7. It “paralyzes life,” per Martin Luther King Jr. : HATRED
Martin Luther King, Jr’s father was born Michael King. On a trip to Germany in 1934, Michael came to admire Protestant leader Martin Luther and changed his name to Martin Luther King on his return the United States. Famously, he passed on his new name to his son, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

9. Warrant, e.g.: Abbr. : CERT
A warrant might be a certificate (cert.).

12. Yoga class directive : INHALE
In the West we tend to think of yoga as a physical discipline, a means of exercise that uses specific poses to stretch and strengthen muscles. While it is true that the ancient Indian practice of yoga does involve such physical discipline, the corporeal aspect of the practice plays a relatively small part in the whole philosophy. Other major components are meditation, ethical behavior, breathing and contemplation.

13. Like bananas in banana splits : PEELED
The banana split was created in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904. This particular sundae was the idea of David Stickler, a young apprentice pharmacist at the Tassel Pharmacy’s soda fountain.

22. Cockamamie : HAREBRAINED
“Cockamamy” (sometimes “cockamamie”) is a slang term meaning “ridiculous, incredible”. The term goes back at least to 1946, but may have originated as a slang term used by children in New York City in 1920s.

31. Topper for Chaplin’s Tramp : DERBY
I think a bowler hat is usually called a derby here in the US. The bowler was first produced in 1849 in London by hatmakers Thomas and William Bowler, hence the name. The alternative name of “derby” comes from the tradition of wearing bowler hats at the Derby horse race (a major race held annually in England).

Charlie Chaplin earned the nickname “The Tramp” (also “Little Tramp”) from the much-loved character that he frequently played on the screen. Chaplin was much-respected as a performer. The great George Bernard Shaw referred to him as “the only genius to come out of the movie industry”.

35. Org. concerned with some labs : DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

38. Bond seen in “Wayne’s World” : BROMANCE
“Bromance” is the name given these days to a close relationship between two straight males.

“Wayne’s World” was originally a Saturday Night Live sketch starring Mike Myers (as Wayne Campbell) and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar. The sketch was so successful that it was parlayed into two hit movies, released in 1992 and 1993. Not my cup of tea though …

40. Obviously Catholic person, in a snarky rhetorical question : THE POPE
That question would be, “Is the pope Catholic?”

43. Manure byproduct : BIOGAS
Biogas is mixture of methane and carbon dioxide resulting from the breakdown of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria. Biogas is used as a renewable energy source, as it is produced from recycled waste.

44. Coulomb per second : AMPERE
The unit of electric current is the ampere, abbreviated correctly to “A” rather than “amp”. It is named after French physicist André-Marie Ampère, one of the main scientists responsible for the discovery of electromagnetism.

50. N.B.A. coach Van Gundy : STAN
Stan Van Gundy is an NBA basketball coach. Stan’s brother Jeff Van Gundy also coached in the NBA. Stan and Jeff’s father was head basketball coach at Brockport State University in Western New York.

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Back in : RETRO-CHIC
10. Golf or tennis lesson topic : GRIP
14. Time Lords, e.g. : ALIEN RACE
15. Kimchi solution : BRINE
16. Something that may help control the border? : WEED EATER
17. Shop item : LATHE
18. Roast figures : MCS
19. Anchovy or sand eel : SPRAT
20. Same old : USUAL
21. Fix permanently : ETCH
23. X factor? : SEX
24. House flip, e.g. : RESALE
25. Very loud : AROAR
27. Celebrity ex of Bruce and Ashton : DEMI
29. With 26-Down, bit of winter fun : SLED …
30. Really hot : TORRID
32. 1978 Nobel sharer : SADAT
34. Requisite : NEEDED
36. Like some extreme diets : NO-CARB
39. Part of a Guardian Angel’s attire : BERET
41. Roast figures : FRIARS
43. Comic who was the 2012 presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party : BARR
46. Bangkok banknotes : BAHT
48. Join the club, in Canterbury : ENROL
49. “Either way works for me” : I’M EASY
51. Mother of the wind gods : EOS
53. One of two in a tournament : SEMI
54. Cousin of ibid. : OP CIT
55. Run : SPATE
57. Follower : FAN
58. Davis of “The Accidental Tourist” : GEENA
59. “Shh!” : NO TALKING!
61. Mock wedding setting in Shakespeare : ARDEN
62. Words before a business’s date of establishment : OPEN SINCE …
63. Bracket position : SEED
64. Person on a quick vacation, maybe : WEEKENDER

Down
1. Carpaccio, e.g. : RAW MEAT
2. Tiny orbiter : ELECTRON
3. 50-50, e.g. : TIE-SCORE
4. Like the lower half of Haiti’s flag : RED
5. Georges : ONES
6. Game with an official called a stickman : CRAPS
7. It “paralyzes life,” per Martin Luther King Jr. : HATRED
8. Tools descended from alpenstocks : ICE AXES
9. Warrant, e.g.: Abbr. : CERT
10. They often turn knees green : GRASS STAINS
11. Initiation, e.g. : RITUAL
12. Yoga class directive : INHALE
13. Like bananas in banana splits : PEELED
15. Like the upper half of Haiti’s flag : BLUE
22. Cockamamie : HAREBRAINED
24. Free from : RID OF
26. See 29-Across : … RIDE
28. “Wowser!” : MAN!
31. Topper for Chaplin’s Tramp : DERBY
33. Parcel portion : ACRE
35. Org. concerned with some labs : DEA
37. Thrill during an excavation : RARE FIND
38. Bond seen in “Wayne’s World” : BROMANCE
40. Obviously Catholic person, in a snarky rhetorical question : THE POPE
42. Ending with gun or mud : -SLINGER
43. Manure byproduct : BIOGAS
44. Coulomb per second : AMPERE
45. What coastlines may do : RECEDE
47. Perfectly : TO A TEE
50. N.B.A. coach Van Gundy : STAN
52. Was lousy : STANK
55. Put one over on : SNOW
56. Instead : ELSE
60. Blood group? : KIN

Return to top of page

6 thoughts on “0114-17 New York Times Crossword Answers 14 Jan 17, Saturday”

  1. 23:24, no errors. One of those puzzles that I am amazed to have finished even though, after the fact, all the answers seem to make perfect sense. (Just hard for me to get a toehold in.)

  2. Not a difficult puzzle, but I did have to cheat on RETRO CHIC. So many missteps in that corner I couldn't list them. Once I saw retro chic, the rest fell into place rather easily. Did this a bit faster than the LAT today.

    KIMCHI – strong indeed. Never been brave enough to try it. I am a fan of carpaccio, however.

    Best-

  3. 29:38, no errors. Agree with the previous posters, my progress through this puzzle was very uneven. Was quickly able to go down the right side with confidence, but had extreme difficulty with the left. Once the puzzle was finished, all answers became obvious.

  4. Easy until the NW, which I left to last. The simple but clever clue ("Back in") for RETROCHIC eluded me, and SPRAT was a total unknown, so after salvaging what I could in that corner, I cheated my way out of it, hating to do so.

  5. 5 letter DNF after 58 minutes, all in trying to break the upper left. Technically, it's all errors for the numerous things I tried in the 29 minutes I spent on that corner (yeah, I timed it). More honest though.

Comments are closed.