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CROSSWORD CONSTRUCTOR: Patrick Blindauer
THEME: The Long and Winding Road
There’s a note with today’s puzzle:
In the print version of this puzzle, the black squares that form a continuous path from the left to right edges of the grid are instead shaded gray. When the puzzle is done, read the letters along this path to get another example of the theme.
So, we have “THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD” made up of black squares that wends its way across the grid. Some answers require letters to be written into that road. Those letters spell out the name of the Beatles hit “DRIVE MY CAR”. Indeed, all of the themed answers today are titles of Beatles songs:
22A. “With the Beatles” song written by Smokey Robinson : YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME
116A. “Revolver” song that Paul McCartney described as “an ode to pot” : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE
30D. “Hey Jude” song that mentions every day of the week but Saturday : LADY MADONNA
35D. “A Hard Day’s Night” song that Lennon called McCartney’s “first ‘Yesterday'” : AND I LOVE HER
40D. “With the Beatles” song playing in the E.R. when Lennon died : ALL MY LOVING
48D. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” song whose title is followed by “where the rain gets in” : FIXING A HOLE
BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 33m 54s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0
Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Major tenant of Rockefeller Center : NBCTV
What is now called the GE Building in New York City, was originally known as the RCA Building, with the name changing in 1988 after the 1986 takeover of RCA by GE. The building was completed in 1933 as part of the Rockefeller Center and was named for its main tenant RCA. Famously, the skyscraper’s address of 30 Rockefeller Center is routinely shortened to “30 Rock”.
6. “Young Frankenstein” role : IGOR
In the world of movies, Igor has been the assistant to Dracula, Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein among others. Igor is almost invariably portrayed as a hunchback.
I am not really a big fan of movies by Mel Brooks, but “Young Frankenstein” is the exception. I think the cast has a lot to do with me liking the film, as it includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), Marty Feldman (Igor) and Gene Hackman (Harold, the blind man).
10. Theater drop : SCRIM
“Scrim” is the name given to that transparent fabric that hangs down onto a theater’s stage, often used with special lighting for various effects.
18. CBS’s “Kate & ___” : ALLIE
The sitcom “Kate & Allie” ran from 1984 to 1989, starring Susan Saint James as Kate, and Jane Curtin as Allie. Jane Curtin won two Emmy awards for her work on the series, while Susan Saint James … did not.
19. Turner of “Peyton Place” : LANA
Lana Turner started work as a Hollywood actress at a very young age, signing up with MGM at only sixteen. Early in her career she earned the nickname “The Sweater Girl” after wearing a pretty tight sweater in the film “They Won’t Forget”, which was her film debut. She married eight times, to seven different husbands, the first of which was bandleader Artie Shaw. Shaw and Turner eloped and married on their very first date, when the young actress was just nineteen years old. After divorcing Shaw she married restaurateur Joseph Crane, but had the marriage annulled when she found out that Crane was still married to his first wife. The two had a daughter together, and so remarried when Crane’s divorce was finalized. Cheryl Crane was the daughter from the marriage to Joseph and she lived with Turner after her parents split up. When Cheryl was 14-years-old, her mother was romantically involved with a shady character named Johnny Stompanato. One evening Cheryl found her mother engaged in a violent argument with Stompanato, and Cheryl became so scared that she pulled out a gun and killed him in what was deemed to be justifiable homicide. Turner’s last marriage was to a nightclub hypnotist, Ronald Pellar, and that union lasted just six months as Pellar disappeared one day with a lot of Turner’s money and jewelry. Years later Turner said, “My goal was to have one husband and seven children, but it turned out to be the other way around.”
27. Gen ___ : XER
The term Generation X originated in the UK where it was the name of a book by Jane Deverson. Her book detailed the results of a study of British youths in 1964, contrasting their lifestyle to those of previous generations. It was Canadian author Douglas Coupland who was responsible for popularizing the term, with his more successful publication “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture”. By the latest accepted definition, Gen-Xers were born between 1961 and 1981.
28. Emulated the tortoise and hare : RAN A RACE
“The Tortoise and the Hare” is perhaps the most famous fable attributed to Aesop. The cocky hare takes a nap during a race against the tortoise, and the tortoise sneaks past the finish line for the win while his speedier friend is sleeping.
51. Part of U.N.L.V. : LAS
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was established in 1957 as the Southern Division of the University of Nevada, Reno. One of UNLV’s flagship departments is the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, which is consistently ranked as one of the best hotel and hospitality colleges in the nation. I suppose that’s not surprising given the proximity to the Las Vegas Strip.
52. “Let’s go!,” in Baja : ANDALE!
Baja California is both the most northern and the most western of the Mexican states. The name translates from Spanish as “Lower California”.
53. Meditation leader : YOGI
A yogi is a practitioner of yoga.
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.
56. Bus. need that most lemonade stands don’t have : LIC
License (lic.)
57. Some Japanese watches : SEIKOS
Seiko Epson is a Japanese company, one of the largest manufacturers of printers in the world. The company has its roots in the watch business, roots that go back to 1942. Seiko was chosen as the official timekeeper for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was asked to supply a timer that produced a printed record. This request brought Seiko into the business of printer production. The company developed the world’s first mini-printer for the 1964 Games and called it EP-101 (EP standing for Electronic Printer). In 1975 Seiko introduced the next generation of EP printers which was called EPSON, from “SON of EP”. Cute, huh?
58. Big ___ (some sandwiches) : MACS
The iconic Big Mac sandwich was introduced nationally by McDonald’s in 1967. It was the creation of a Pittsburgh franchisee who offered it on the menu as a response to the very similar “Big Boy” sandwich offered by the competing Big Boy restaurant chain.
59. Edgar in “King Lear,” e.g. : EXILE
Edgar is a key figure in William Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”. Edgar is the legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, a powerful man in england. Edgar is tricked by his brother, which leads to his exile. Edgar returns in disguise as a mad beggar, and in his disguise is able to help both his father and King Lear himself.
60. It might help you get to Carnegie Hall, for short : MTA
The MTA is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has public transportation responsibility in the state of New York (as well as part of Connecticut). MTA might also refer to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is known as the Metro and sometimes the MTA.
The prestigious Carnegie Hall in midtown Manhattan opened for business in 1891. The magnificent edifice was named after the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who provided the funds for construction.
61. Riga resident : LETT
Riga is the capital city of Latvia. The historical center of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, declared as such because of the city’s magnificent examples of Art Nouveau architecture.
Latvia is one of the former Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs). People from Latvia are called Letts.
62. Garden party? : ADAM
According to the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in a garden “in” Eden, with Eden being geographically located by reference to four rivers including the Tigris and the Euphrates. Some scholars hypothesize that Eden was located in Mesopotamia, which encompasses much of modern-day Iraq.
65. “The Time Machine” race : ELOI
In the 1895 novel by H. G. Wells called “The Time Machine”, there are two races that the hero encounter in his travels into the future. The Eloi are the “beautiful people” who live on the planet’s surface. The Morlocks are a race of cannibals living underground who use the Eloi as food.
67. Something you might lose a little sleep over?: Abbr. : DST
On the other side of the Atlantic, Daylight Saving Time (DST) is known as “summer time”. The idea behind summer/daylight-savings is to move clocks forward an hour in spring (i.e. “spring forward”) and backwards in the fall (i.e. “fall back”) so that afternoons have more daylight.
68. Delany or Carvey : DANA
Dana Delaney is an actress from New York who had her big break playing Colleen McMurphy on the TV show “China Beach” in the late eighties. More recently, Delaney played Megan Hunt, the lead role on the drama series “Body of Proof”.
Dana Carvey, along with the likes of Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon, was part of the new breed of “Saturday Night Live” comedians credited with resurrecting the show in the late eighties. One of Carvey’s most popular characters was the Church Lady, and he became so associated with her that among fellow cast members Carvey was often referred to simply as “the Lady”. Another favorite Carvey character was Garth Algar who went to feature in the “Wayne’s World” movies. Carvey had open-heart surgery in 1997 to clear a blocked artery, but the surgical team operated on the wrong blood vessel. To recover, he had to have five more procedures. He ended up suing for medical malpractice and donated his $7.5 million compensation payment to charity.
71. Capital bombed in 1972 : HANOI
Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam, and Saigon the capital of South Vietnam. After the Vietnam War, Hanoi was made capital of the reunified state. Saigon, the larger metropolis, was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is located in the delta of the Red River, and is just over 50 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea.
78. Harrison’s successor : CLEVELAND
Grover Cleveland was the only person to have served as US President in two non-consecutive terms, and is sometimes referred to as our 22nd and 24th president. 49-year-old President Cleveland married 21-year-old Frances Folsom during his first term. This marked the only time that a president has married in the White House. And, that marriage made Frances the youngest wife of any sitting US president.
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States. President Harrison is the only US president to be the grandson of a former president. Benjamin was the grandson of the 9th president, William Henry Harrison. One of the things that President Benjamin Harrison’s administration is remembered for is bringing the level of federal spending to one billion dollars for the first time.
79. African antelope : ELAND
An eland is a large African antelope, in fact the largest on the continent. Both male and female elands have horns, and those horns have a steady spiral ridge along their length.
80. Message from the Red Cross, maybe : PLEA
Back in 1859, a Swiss businessman called Henri Dunant went to meet French emperor Napoleon III, to discuss making it easier to conduct commerce in French-occupied Algeria. The Emperor was billeted at Solferino, where France and Austria were engaged in a major battle. In one day, Dunant witnessed 40,000 soldiers die in battle and countless wounded suffering on the battlefield without any organized medical care. Dunant abandoned his business agenda and instead spent a week caring for the sick and wounded. Within a few years he had founded the precursor to the Red Cross, and in 1901 he was awarded the first ever Nobel Peace Prize.
81. Cinematic composer André : PREVIN
André Previn is pianist, conductor and composer who was born in Berlin, Germany but who grew up in Los Angeles. Previn has won four Oscars for his work on the musical scores of “Gigi” (1958), “Porgy & Bess” (1959), “Irma la Douce” (1963) and “My Fair Lady” (1964). Previn was married five time, most famously probably to actress Mia Farrow.
89. Piece org.? : NRA
National Rifle Association (NRA)
90. Silverwork city in southern Mexico : TAXCO
Taxco de Alarcón is a small city in southern Mexico. Taxco is a center for silver mining, and is also well known for the production of silverware and fine items made using silver.
91. “Strangers and Brothers” novelist : CP SNOW
C. P. Snow was an English novelist, physicist and even a minister in the UK government.
94. 1943 penny material : STEEL
The original one-cent coin was introduced in the US in 1793 and was made of 100% copper. The composition varied over time, and was 100% bronze up to the 1940s. During WWII there was a shortage of copper to make bronze, so the US Mint switched to zinc-coated steel for production of one-cent coins in 1943. The “steelie” is the only coin ever issued by the US mint that can be picked up by a magnet. Today’s one-cent coin is comprised mainly of zinc.
95. Merchandise: Abbr. : GDS
Goods (gds.)
106. Raised a ruckus : CLAMORED
The word “ruckus” is used to mean a commotion, and has been around since the late 1800s. “Ruckus” is possibly a melding of the words “ruction” and “rumpus”.
108. 1977 Warhol subject : ALI
American artist Andy Warhol was a leader in the pop art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s. Many of his works became the most expensive paintings ever sold. A 1963 Warhol canvas titled “Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)” fetched over 100 million dollars in 2013.
111. Filmmaker Guy : RITCHIE
Guy Ritchie is an English screenwriter and movie director, best known for directing films like “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998) and the two “Sherlock Holmes” films. Famously, Ritchie was married to the singer Madonna for several years. Ritchie and Madonna have two children together: Rocco born 2000, and David adopted in Malawi in 2006.
116. “Revolver” song that Paul McCartney described as “an ode to pot” : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE
“Got to Get You into My Life” is a Beatles song composed by Paul McCartney that appears on the “Revolver” album released in 1966. The song was released as a single in 1976, and was the last Beatles song to chart in the US, until they released “Free as a Bird” almost 20 years later in 1995.
123. Fifth qtrs. : OTS
Overtime (OT)
124. Résumé listing : SKILL
A résumé is a summary of a person’s job experience and education and is used as a tool by a job seeker. In many countries, a résumé is equivalent to a curriculum vitae. “Résumé” is the French word for “summary”.
126. Les ___-Unis : ETATS
“Les États-Unis” is what French speakers call “the United States”.
Down
2. Link studied at Ancestry.com : BLOODLINE
Ancestry.com is the largest commercial genealogy company in the world. It operates out of Provo, Utah.
3. Coterie : CLUB
A “coterie” is a small group of friends who hang out together, often sharing a common interest. The term comes to us from French where a coterie was an organization of peasants all of whom held land owned by the same feudal lord.
6. Napoleon’s partner on “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” : ILLYA
Scottish actor David McCallum got his big break playing Illya Kuryakin on “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”, alongside Robert Vaughn playing Napoleon Solo. McCallum also appeared in the 1963 movie “The Great Escape”, working with Charles Bronson. There was good and bad about this project, as after McCallum introduced his wife Jill Ireland to Bronson, Ireland left her husband and married Bronson five years later.
8. Shade of black : ONYX
Onyx is a form of quartz that comes in many different shades, but most often it’s the black version that’s used for jewelry. The name “onyx” comes from the Greek word for “fingernail”, as onyx in the flesh color is said to resemble a fingernail.
10. Onetime J.F.K. sight : SST
The most famous supersonic transport (SST) is the retired Concorde. Concorde was developed and produced under an Anglo-French treaty by France’s Aérospatiale and the UK’s British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Concordes were mainly operated by Air France and British Airways, with both companies buying the planes with substantial subsidies from the French and British governments. The final Concorde flight was a British Airways plane that landed in the UK on 26 November 2003.
11. 1968 movie based on “Flowers for Algernon” : CHARLY
“Flowers for Algernon” was first a short story and then a novel, written by Daniel Keyes. It is a science fiction work about a mentally disabled man who undergoes surgery that briefly gives him the powers of a genius. Also featured in the tale is a laboratory mouse called Algernon, the first test subject to benefit from the experimental surgery.
12. Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL
Bobby Rahal is an auto racing driver and team owner. Rahal won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 as a driver, and won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 as a team owner (the driver was Buddy Rice).
16. Zenith : ACME
The “acme” is the highest point, coming from the Greek word “akme” which has the same meaning.
The nadir is the direction pointing immediately below a particular location (through to the other side of the Earth for example). The opposite direction, that pointing immediately above, is called the zenith. We use the terms “nadir” and “zenith” figuratively to mean the low and high points in a person’s fortunes.
17. “The Gold-Bug” author : POE
“The Gold-Bug” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, a mystery tale about a man who was bitten by a gold-colored bug. The story first appeared in three installments in the ”Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper” in 1843, and became very popular. He had submitted the story to a writing contest sponsored by the paper, and it was published as the winning entry. The grand prize also included $100 in cash, which was likely the largest sum that Poe ever received for a work in his lifetime.
25. “___ & the Women” (2000 Altman film) : DR T
The 2000 movie “Dr. T & the Women” is a pretty good film, starring Richard Gere in the title role. There can’t be many romantic comedies about gynecologists …
30. “Hey Jude” song that mentions every day of the week but Saturday : LADY MADONNA
The 1968 Beatles hit “Lady Madonna” was the last song the band recorded before starting their own Apple Records label. The song’s lyrics mention every day of the week except Saturday. Paul McCartney admitted in an interview that the omission was a mistake, and one that he and John Lennon only noticed after the song was recorded.
“Hey Jude” was originally a song called “Hey Jules”, written by Paul McCartney. He wrote the original song for John Lennon’s son Julian, in an attempt to comfort the boy during his parents’ divorce. There’s a phenomenal coda in “Hey Jude” after the fourth verse that lasts for over four minutes.
34. What T.S.A. Precheck helps people avoid : LINE
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in 2001, soon after the 9/11 attacks. TSA personnel carry out the baggage and body searches at US airports. The TSA has a Trusted Traveler program that allows certain passengers to move more quickly through security screening. These passengers pay the TSA a one-time fee that covers a background check after which successful applicants are issued a Known Traveler Number (KTN).
35. “A Hard Day’s Night” song that Lennon called McCartney’s “first ‘Yesterday'” : AND I LOVE HER
“And I Love Her” is a lovely ballad recorded by the Beatles in 1964. It is one of my favorite Lennon/McCartney compositions. There’s a lovely rendition of the song in the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night”.
37. Strongly worded attack : BROADSIDE
A “broadside” is a harshly spoken or written attack. The term comes from a naval attack in which all guns on one side of a warship are fired at the same time.
41. Tiki bar cocktail : MAI TAI
The Mai Tai cocktail is strongly associated with the Polynesian islands, but the drink was supposedly invented in 1944 in Trader Vic’s restaurant in Oakland, California. One recipe is 6 parts white rum, 3 parts orange curaçao, 3 parts Orgeat syrup, 1 part rock candy syrup, 2 parts fresh lime juice, all mixed with ice and then a float added of 6 parts dark rum. “Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good”.
The world’s first tiki bar was called “Don the Beachcomber”, and was opened in L.A. in 1933 by Ernest Gantt (also known as “Donn Beach”). The bar became famous for its exotic rum cocktails. Gantt was called to serve in WWII, and the business expanded dramatically under his ex-wife’s management so that there was a 160-restaurant chain waiting for Gantt when he returned stateside.
42. Houdini feat : ESCAPE
Harry Houdini was the stage name of Hungarian-born escapologist and magician Erik Weisz (later changed to “Harry Weiss”). Many people are under the impression that Houdini died while performing an escape that went wrong, an impression created by the storyline in a couple of movies about his life. The truth is that he died of peritonitis from a burst appendix. It is also true that a few days prior to his death Houdini took a series of punches to his stomach as part of his act, but doctors believe that his appendix would have burst regardless.
44. George of “Star Trek” : TAKEI
Mr. Sulu was played by George Takei in the original “Star Trek” series. Takei has played lots of roles over the years, and is still very active in television. Did you know that he appeared in the 1963 film, “Pt-109”? He played the helmsman steering the Japanese destroyer that ran down John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat. From destroyer helmsman to starship helmsman …
49. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA
Edina, Minnesota lies just southwest of Minneapolis. The town takes its name from Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The name was suggested by a Scottish mill owner at the time the new village was founded in 1888.
55. Pommes frites seasoning : SEL
In French, one might put “sel” (salt) on “pommes frites” (French fries).
59. Slowly fade away : EVANESCE
To evanesce is to disappear, like a vapor.
71. End of a shift : HEM
A shift is a dress that is cut above-the-knee and has no clearly-defined waist. This style of dress originated in the 1920s when it was worn by the “flappers”, young women who defied social norms at the time. The shift was comfortable to wear and allowed easy movement, particularly on the dance floor.
72. Disc jockey Freed : ALAN
Alan Freed was an early disk-jockey, who was known by the nickname “Moondog”. The nickname came from his use of an R&B record called “Moondog” as his theme song, in the days when he broadcast late into the night. Based in the US, Freed also recorded radio shows for broadcast in Europe. He earned quite a reputation promoting African-American rhythm and blues music, and ultimately rock and roll. However, Freed’s career came to an abrupt end when it was proven that he was at the receiving end of “payola” payments, profiting from promotion of specific records on his shows.
73. Hair-razing name? : NAIR
Nair is a hair removal product that has some pretty harsh ingredients. The most important active constituents are calcium hydroxide (“slake lime”) and sodium hydroxide (“caustic soda”). Other Nair components seem to be there to soothe the skin after the harsher chemicals have done their job. The name “Nair” probably comes from combining “no” and “hair”.
77. ___ teeth : HEN’S
Something might be described as “scarcer than hen’s teeth”, as hens don’t have teeth at all!
82. Tommy Hilfiger alternative : IZOD
Jack Izod was a tailor of some repute over in England, producing shirts for King George V as well as other members of the Royal Family. As Izod was about to retire, he was approached for the use of his name by an American clothing manufacturer based in New York. The brand Izod of London was introduced to America in 1938.
Tommy Hilfiger is a fashion designer from Elmira, New York who is based in New York City.
90. Kitchen shortening : TSP
Teaspoon (tsp.)
93. “___ a wrap” : THAT’S
When shooting of a film is concluded the movie is said to “wrap”, and everyone heads to the wrap party. There is one story that “wrap” is actually an acronym for “wind, reel and print”, a reference to the transition of the filming process into post-production. But, this explanation is disputed.
97. Latin 101 word : AMO
Amo, amas, amat … I love, you love, he/she/it loves, in Latin.
98. Theater sections : LOGES
In most theaters today, “loge” is the name given to the front rows of a mezzanine level. Loge can also be used for box seating.
100. ___ dish : PETRI
Julius Richard Petri was a German bacteriologist and was the man after whom the Petri dish is named. The petri dish can have an agar gel on the bottom which acts a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.
101. Pastoral poem : IDYLL
An “idyll” (also “idyl”) is a short poem with a pastoral theme, usually depicting the scene in romantic and idealized terms. The word comes from the Greek “eidyllion”, which literally translates to “little picture” but was a word describing a short, poem with a rustic theme.
104. Pacific ___ : RIM
The phrase “Pacific Rim” describes the countries that surround the Pacific Ocean. The related phrase “Pacific Basin” includes the islands in the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the Pacific Rim nations.
105. Bob or weave : STYLE
A “bob cut” is a short hairstyle in which the hair is cut straight around the head, at about the line of the jaw. Back in the 1570s a “bob” was the name given to a horse’s tail that was cut short, and about a century later it was being used to describe short hair on humans. The style became very popular with women in the early 1900s (as worn by actress Clara Bow, for example), with the fashion dying out in the thirties. The style reemerged in the sixties around the time the Beatles introduced their “mop tops”, with Vidal Sassoon leading the way in styling women’s hair in a bob cut again. Personally, I like it …
107. Contents of some envelopes: Abbr. : LTRS
Letter (ltr.)
109. Officially go (for) : LIST
That would be list price.
112. Circulatory block : CLOT
A blood clot is a very necessary response to an injury and is intended to prevent bleeding. Also called a thrombus, the clot comprises aggregated blood platelets trapped in a mesh made from fibrin, a fibrous protein. If a thrombus forms in a healthy blood vessel, restricting blood flow, that condition is known as thrombosis.
115. Congers and morays : EELS
Conger eels can grow to be very, very large, perhaps up to 10 feet in length.
Morays are a large group of about 200 species of eels found across the world’s oceans. They are carnivorous and look pretty scary but they’re quite shy when confronted and present no threat to humans. One interesting thing about morays is that they will sometimes work in cooperation with the grouper fish found in reefs, the two helping each other hunt for food.
117. Olive ___ : OYL
“Thimble Theater” was the precursor comic strip to the famous “Popeye” drawn by E. C. Segar. Before Popeye came into the story, the brother and sister characters Castor Oyl and Olive Oyl were the protagonists. And then along comes a sailor …
118. Cape Horn, for one : TIP
Cape Horn is sometimes cited as the most southerly point of South America, In fact, that honor goes to the Águila Islet of the Diego Ramirez Islands. Cape Horn is however the northern point of the Drake Passage that was used by sailing ships to pass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The use of the Drake Passage fell off with the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.
For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Major tenant of Rockefeller Center : NBCTV
6. “Young Frankenstein” role : IGOR
10. Theater drop : SCRIM
15. Nuke : ZAP
18. CBS’s “Kate & ___” : ALLIE
19. Turner of “Peyton Place” : LANA
20. Bad thing to bring one’s family : SHAME
21. Wealthy: Sp. : RICO
22. “With the Beatles” song written by Smokey Robinson : YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME
26. In all seriousness : SOBERLY
27. Gen ___ : XER
28. Emulated the tortoise and hare : RAN A RACE
29. One of seven in the Book of Revelation : SEAL
31. Ladies’ men, in older usage : GALLANTS
33. Gulf state: Abbr. : ALA
36. Monastery head’s jurisdiction : ABBACY
39. Domesticate : TAME
43. Intimate : HINT AT
47. Zombie or flaming volcano : DRINK
48. “Yuck!” : FEH!
51. Part of U.N.L.V. : LAS
52. “Let’s go!,” in Baja : ANDALE!
53. Meditation leader : YOGI
54. Altar exchange : I DOS
56. Bus. need that most lemonade stands don’t have : LIC
57. Some Japanese watches : SEIKOS
58. Big ___ (some sandwiches) : MACS
59. Edgar in “King Lear,” e.g. : EXILE
60. It might help you get to Carnegie Hall, for short : MTA
61. Riga resident : LETT
62. Garden party? : ADAM
63. Record shop stock : VINYL
64. Talk, talk, talk : YAP
65. “The Time Machine” race : ELOI
67. Something you might lose a little sleep over?: Abbr. : DST
68. Delany or Carvey : DANA
69. Whopper : LIE
70. Last Hebrew letter : TAV
71. Capital bombed in 1972 : HANOI
74. Grade school subj. : ENG
75. Audio problem : ECHO
78. Harrison’s successor : CLEVELAND
79. African antelope : ELAND
80. Message from the Red Cross, maybe : PLEA
81. Cinematic composer André : PREVIN
84. Triumphant cry : HAH!
85. Its state quarter has a lighthouse : MAINE
86. Luxuriant : LUSH
87. Charge, in a way : IONIZE
88. Spanish letter between ka and eme : ELE
89. Piece org.? : NRA
90. Silverwork city in southern Mexico : TAXCO
91. “Strangers and Brothers” novelist : CP SNOW
92. Move quickly : DART
94. 1943 penny material : STEEL
95. Merchandise: Abbr. : GDS
96. Structure used in extreme sports : HALFPIPE
102. “Antennae” : EARS
106. Raised a ruckus : CLAMORED
108. 1977 Warhol subject : ALI
111. Filmmaker Guy : RITCHIE
116. “Revolver” song that Paul McCartney described as “an ode to pot” : GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE
119. They go in locks : OARS
120. Ancient : EARLY
121. Footwear for a run : SKIS
122. Like a good scout : LOYAL
123. Fifth qtrs. : OTS
124. Résumé listing : SKILL
125. It used to be made of lead : TYPE
126. Les ___-Unis : ETATS
Down
1. One side of a vote : NAYS
2. Link studied at Ancestry.com : BLOODLINE
3. Coterie : CLUB
4. Part of an old-fashioned swing : TIRE
5. Zigs or zags : VEERS
6. Napoleon’s partner on “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” : ILLYA
7. “Wonder Woman” star ___ Gadot : GAL
8. Shade of black : ONYX
9. Fury : RAGE
10. Onetime J.F.K. sight : SST
11. 1968 movie based on “Flowers for Algernon” : CHARLY
12. Indy 500 winner Bobby : RAHAL
13. “___ roll!” : I’M ON A
14. Blue : MELANCHOLY
15. Penny, mostly : ZINC
16. Zenith : ACME
17. “The Gold-Bug” author : POE
21. Certain tribute : ROAST
23. Most watchful : ALERTEST
24. Living thing : ORGANISM
25. “___ & the Women” (2000 Altman film) : DR T
30. “Hey Jude” song that mentions every day of the week but Saturday : LADY MADONNA
32. “Yikes!” : ACK!
33. Solvers’ shouts : AHAS
34. What T.S.A. Precheck helps people avoid : LINE
35. “A Hard Day’s Night” song that Lennon called McCartney’s “first ‘Yesterday'” : AND I LOVE HER
37. Strongly worded attack : BROADSIDE
38. Panther or puma : BIG CAT
40. “With the Beatles” song playing in the E.R. when Lennon died : ALL MY LOVING
41. Tiki bar cocktail : MAI TAI
42. Houdini feat : ESCAPE
44. George of “Star Trek” : TAKEI
45. Bunches : A LOT
46. Try out : TEST
48. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” song whose title is followed by “where the rain gets in” : FIXING A HOLE
49. Twin Cities suburb : EDINA
50. Sacrosanct : HOLY
55. Pommes frites seasoning : SEL
59. Slowly fade away : EVANESCE
65. Like names on trophies, often : ETCHED
66. “I can’t he-e-ear you!” : LA LA LA!
68. Extra-special : DELUXE
71. End of a shift : HEM
72. Disc jockey Freed : ALAN
73. Hair-razing name? : NAIR
75. Bigger than big : EPIC
76. Beans, e.g. : CROP
77. ___ teeth : HEN’S
80. The highest form of flattery? : PLATEAU
82. Tommy Hilfiger alternative : IZOD
83. Old movie theater lead-ins : NEWSREELS
90. Kitchen shortening : TSP
93. “___ a wrap” : THAT’S
97. Latin 101 word : AMO
98. Theater sections : LOGES
99. Lose it : FREAK
100. ___ dish : PETRI
101. Pastoral poem : IDYLL
103. Came (from) : AROSE
104. Pacific ___ : RIM
105. Bob or weave : STYLE
106. Lacquer, e.g. : COAT
107. Contents of some envelopes: Abbr. : LTRS
109. Officially go (for) : LIST
110. Black as night : INKY
112. Circulatory block : CLOT
113. Slangy greeting : HIYA
114. “___ first you don’t succeed …” : IF AT
115. Congers and morays : EELS
116. Melted mess : GOO
117. Olive ___ : OYL
118. Cape Horn, for one : TIP
1:03:15, no errors. Doing this one on my iPad was a bit tricky: even after I mostly understood the gimmick, I had a hard time keeping track of the letters in the road. (Actually, though, it might not have been much easier on paper.)
Another problem for me was that, although I lived through the era of the Beatles, I never actually learned the names of their songs, so I had to guess at a lot of them. ("Fixing a Hole", in particular, was totally unfamiliar.)
A difficult week for me, puzzle-wise: glad to have it in my rear-view mirror … ?
DNF. Worked on this for about an hour and gave up. I don't ever remember doing that before. I was maybe halfway done, and I'm not a Beatles fan. In fact, I've never understood why they're worshipped so much. So although this theme was not my cup of tea, I admire the constructor's efforts. Kudos to those who stuck with this one.
Best –
Too clever by half.
Sat down with the puzzle to watch the Mariner-Angel baseball game Sunday afternoon. About two thirds done when the game was over. Finished up after another 30 minutes this morning. Missed one square (48 across and down). Ironically I am a Beatles fan and could remember every song on Sgt. Peppers except that one. Put in 'M' instead of 'F'.
Four days in a row with one square incorrect. AARGH!
Been doing the NYT crossword for about four years and I think my two biggest pet peeves are textspeak clues and ones that are answered by 'feh' 'meh' 'beh' 'bah' 'baa' 'aah' 'ahh' etc. Sorry to rant.
Chuck in Sequimn
58 minutes even, and 5 errors in the top right-center (among them the inability to pick out MELANCHOLY). Very clever little puzzle; the clue about the song playing in the ER as Lennon died was very sad; I hadn't heard that one….
60 mins even, 3 errors: 48A LEH, 59A EVILE, 48D LIVING A HOLE. Was determined to break my streak of DNF's, so just tossed some letters in.
One of the challenges I enjoy from the NYT is the willingness to break rules; however, this sometimes results in puzzles which are 'Too clever by half.' and lack consistency. In this puzzle most of the gray squares are blank, some support a single through word, and some support two intersecting words. I should have seen FIXING A HOLE, which would have allowed me to see EXILE; but FEH as "Yuck"? Never saw that before.
I enjoy many of the 60s/70s bands, Beatles among them. For a greater appreciation of the Beatles' song writing talents, I suggest listening to the lyrics of 'Taxman', protesting Britain's 95% income tax rate on the super rich; and 'Paperback Writer', about an author's willingness to sell out in order to get a book published.
This was easy, too clever, and cruel all at the same time. (Maybe I should use my Sundays for less time-consuming and more satisfying pastimes.)
Whenever such high income tax rates are mentioned, I think there should be a qualifier that they are "marginal" tax rates, usually with some explanation of what that means.)
DNF after about 2 hours and 7/8 of the puzzle filled. Incredible slog, way too much guessing about what should happen. Definitely one of those that makes me wonder why I keep doing these things.
I finished with two incorrect squares and a few Correct guesses. I had tried 'meh', 'enile' (I was thinking of 'anile'), & 'mining a hole'. Meh, close enough.
Glad to see other bogged down on this. Way too cutesy for my taste.
11/7/17 We get the puzzle a week later than the original publishing date. Could someone please explain how "plateau" (80-down) is the highest form of flattery?
It was a wry clue to be sure. A plateau is a high, “flat” spot.
@Lucy … I must have gotten 80D rhrough crossing entries, as I don't remember the clue at all. The only guess I have is that a pun is involved. Plateaus, like plains and mesas, are basically flat-topped land features, and one tends to think of plateaus as being higher than plains or mesas (at least, I do … I think). Pretty tricky … 🙂
I thought this one was stimulating and enjoyable, but then I'm a rabid Beatles fan. If you didn't know the song titles it'd be a whole different puzzle. … I also missed 48 across and down, and (not to rant!) I think if you're going to use something so arbitrary and so likely to be totally unfamiliar to most people, the crossing letters should all be ones about which no doubt is possible. I had "fah," which I think fits better (though usually spelled "faugh" by types like Edgar Allan Poe). And I agree that "plateau" was quite a stretch. It was the last word I filled in. — Lela
What a stupid fucking puzzle. Enough said.
What I hated about this puzzle was the randomness of the extra letters in the "road." I didn't see any way to know when you were supposed to add an extra letter. Of course, I was never a Beatles fan, so I didn't know all the song titles. Feh!