0710-17 New York Times Crossword Answers 10 Jul 17, Monday

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 CONSTRUCTOR: Timothy Polin
THEME: World Peace
Each of today’s themed answers starts with a word for PEACE written in a foreign language from somewhere in the WORLD:

62A. Ancient dream of humanity that’s hinted at by the starts of 17-, 24-, 37- and 53-Across (in Hawaiian, Hebrew, Latin and Russian, respectively) : WORLD PEACE

17A. Colorful top often worn with a lei : ALOHA SHIRT (“aloha” is “peace” in Hawaiian)
24A. Tel Aviv skyscraper that was the first to be built in the Mideast : SHALOM MEIR TOWER (“shalom” is “peace” in Hebrew)
37A. Long, tranquil period ushered in by the emperor Augustus : PAX ROMANA (“pax” is “peace” in Latin)
53A. Orbiter from 1986 to 2001 : MIR SPACE STATION (“mir” is “peace” in Russian)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 5m 04s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

1. Emancipation Proclamation prez : ABE
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 during the Civil War. The order freed slaves in Confederate territory, but did not apply to the five slave states that were not in rebellion. Slavery became illegal in the whole of the United States in December 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified.

13. Apple computers : MACS
Macintosh (also “Mac”) is a line of computers from Apple Inc. The first Mac was introduced in 1984, and I remember someone showing me one at work in those early days of personal computing. There was a piece of white plastic connected to the main computer by a cord, and I was amazed when the guy showed me that it controlled where the cursor was on the screen. My colleague told me that this lump of plastic was called “a mouse” …

15. Ancient land in Asia Minor : IONIA
The geographic region called Ionia is located in present day Turkey. Ionia was prominent in the days of Ancient Greece although it wasn’t a unified state, but rather a collection of tribes. The tribal confederacy was more based on religious and cultural similarities than a political or military alliance. Nowadays we often refer to this arrangement as the Ionian League.

Asia Minor is also known as Anatolia. It is the geographic part of Asia that protrudes out into the west, towards Europe, and is roughly equivalent to modern-day Turkey.

16. The Bruins of the N.C.A.A. : UCLA
The UCLA Bruins’ mascots are Joe and Josephine Bruin, characters that have evolved over the years. There used to be “mean” Bruin mascots but they weren’t very popular with the fans, so now there are only “happy” Bruin mascots at the games.

20. “Attack, Bowser!” : SIC ‘EM!
“Sic ’em” is an attack order given to a dog, instructing the animal to growl, bark or even bite. The term dates back to the 1830s, with “sic” being a variation of “seek”.

24. Tel Aviv skyscraper that was the first to be built in the Mideast : SHALOM MEIR TOWER (“shalom” is “peace” in Hebrew)
The Shalom Meir Tower is an office block in Tel Aviv. Construction on the tower was completed in 1965, at which time it was the tallest building in the Middle East. It has 34 floors and a height of 466 ft.

29. ___ de Janeiro : RIO
Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil (after São Paulo). “Rio de Janeiro” translates as “January River”. The name reflects the discovery of the bay on which Rio sits, on New Year’s Day in 1502.

37. Long, tranquil period ushered in by the emperor Augustus : PAX ROMANA (“pax” is “peace” in Latin)
“Pax Romana” is Latin for “Roman Peace”. The term literally described a period in Roman history for the 1st and 2nd centuries AD during which the Roman Empire was ruled by Caesar Augustus. Under his control, expansionist ideas by powerful generals were held in check, and the peoples of foreign lands ruled by the Romans were relatively calm. The peace enjoyed was considered uneasy as Rome governed its conquered territories with an iron fist, and insurrection was likely at all times. The expression “pax Romana” then came to be used in English to describe any situation in which there is an uneasy peace, a peace imposed by a powerful state on a weaker state.

50. ___-tac-toe : TIC
When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

52. “That’s all ___ wrote” : SHE
No one seems to be very certain of the origin of the phrase “that’s all she wrote”. One popular story though is that it stems from the unfortunate “Dear John” letters that some soldiers received during WWII.

The expression “Dear John letter” originated in WWII among American troops who were serving abroad. The servicemen highly valued letters from girlfriends and wives back home, and almost invariably those missives started out with “Dearest”, or “My Darling” or some other expression of affection. A curt, “Dear John” set the tone for a letter which was likely to contain news of a new love interest in the life of the girlfriend or wife. The contemporary equivalent missive from a male to a female is a “Dear Jane letter”.

53. Orbiter from 1986 to 2001 : MIR SPACE STATION (“mir” is “peace” in Russian)
The Russian Mir Space Station was a remarkably successful project, with the station still holding the record for the longest continuous manned presence in space, at just under ten years. Towards the end of the space station’s life however, the years began to take their toll. There was a dangerous fire, multiple system failures, and a collision with a resupply ship. The Russian commitment to the International Space Station drained funds for repairs, so Mir was allowed to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up in 2001. “Mir” is a Russian word meaning “peace” or “world”.

57. Links org. : PGA
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

The oldest type of golf course is a links course. The name “links” comes from the Old English word “hlinc” meaning “rising ground”. “Hlinc” was used to describe areas with coastal sand dunes or open parkland. As a result, we use the term “links course” to mean a golf course that is located at or on the coast, often amid sand dunes. The British Open is always played on a links course.

65. “Lucky Jim” author Kingsley : AMIS
Kingsley Amis (what a great name!) was a very successful English writer, famous for producing entertaining, comedic novels. His most famous novel probably is his first, “Lucky Jim” published in 1954, although he won a Booker Prize for a later novel, “The Old Devils” published in 1986. He passed on some of his talent through his genes, it seems, as his son Martin Amis is a very successful novelist too.

66. California’s Santa ___ Derby : ANITA
Santa Anita Park is a racetrack for horses located in Arcadia, California. The most famous races on the track’s calendar are the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap.

67. Went kaput : DIED
“Kaput” is a familiar term meaning “incapacitated, destroyed”, and comes to us from French (via German). The original word “capot” means “not having won a single trick” in the French card game called Piquet.

Down
2. “South Pacific” show tune : BALI HA’I
The song “Bali Ha’i” is from the musical “South Pacific” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. In the musical, Bali Ha’i is the name of a volcanic island that neighbors the island on which the story takes place.

The 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” is based on stories from the 1947 book “Tales of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener. “South Pacific” really is a classic show featuring some classic songs, like “Bali Ha’i”, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair”, “Some Enchanted Evening” and “Happy Talk”.

4. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
The music for the Christmas song “Deck the Halls” is a traditional Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The same tune was used by Mozart for a violin and piano duet. The lyrics with which we are familiar (other than the “f-la-la”) are American in origin, and were recorded in 19th century.

“’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!”

7. High, wispy clouds : CIRRI
Cirrus (plural “cirri”) clouds are those lovely wispy, white strands that are often called “mare’s tails”.

11. Ljubljana resident : SLOVENE
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, a status the city was awarded on the creation of the Republic in 1991 following the breakup of Yugoslavia.

12. Used a stun gun on : TASERED
Victor Appleton wrote a novel for young adults called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle”. The company that developed the TASER electroshock weapon partly named its product as a homage to the novel. The acronym “TASER” stands for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”.

14. Poet/illustrator Silverstein : SHEL
Author Shel Silverstein had a varied career and did a lot more than write books. Silverstein was a poet, composer, cartoonist and screenwriter among other things. One of his successful children’s books is “The Giving Tree”, which was first published in 1964. “The Giving Tree” tells of a young boy who has a special relationship with a tree in a forest. The message of the book seems to be that the tree provides the little boy with everything he needs.

18. God of love : AMOR
Cupid was the god of love in Roman mythology. Cupid’s name comes from the Latin verb “cupere” meaning “to desire”. Cupid’s Latin name was Amor, and his Greek counterpart was Eros.

22. Joel Coen’s filmmaking brother : ETHAN
I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the lovely Frances McDormand.

25. Coquette : MINX
A minx is a flirtatious woman. The term derives from the 16th-century word “mynx” used for a pet dog.

A “coquet” is a male flirt, with “coquette” being a female flirt. The word comes from French, and is the diminutive of “coq”, the word for a cock.

27. Killer whales : ORCAS
The taxonomic name for the killer whale is Orcinus orca. The use of the name “orca”, rather than “killer whale”, is becoming more and more common. The Latin word “Orcinus” means “belonging to Orcus”, with Orcus being the name for the Kingdom of the Dead.

34. Partner of Snap and Crackle : POP
Snap, Crackle and Pop are three elves employed as the mascots for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. The trio first appeared in an ad campaign in 1933, although the phrase “snap, crackle and pop” had been used for the cereal for some time in radio ads. By the way, the elves are selling “Rice Bubbles” in Australia, and the elves have different names in other parts of the world (like “Cric!, Crac! and Croc! in Quebec).

40. Pete with seven Wimbledon championships : SAMPRAS
Pete Sampras is a retired Greek-American tennis professional. Sampras was rated number one in the world rankings for six years in a row in the nineties.

41. Paper-folding craft : ORIGAMI
Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

47. Defeater of Nixon in 1960 : KENNEDY
President John F. Kennedy was often referred to by his initials JFK, the F standing for Fitzgerald, his mother’s maiden name. The president’s brother Robert F. Kennedy was also referred to using his initials, RFK, with the F standing for his middle name Francis.

49. Disputed island in the China Sea : TAIWAN
Prior to 1945, the island that we know today as Taiwan was called “Formosa”, the Portuguese word for “beautiful”. Portuguese sailors gave the island this name when they spotted it in 1544. The official name for the state of Taiwan is the “Republic of China”.

51. Incessantly complain : CARP
The word “carp” used to mean simply “talk” back in the 13th century, with its roots in the Old Norwegian “karpa” meaning “to brag”. A century later the Latin word “carpere” meaning “to slander” influenced the use of “carp” so that it came to mean “find fault with”.

63. Inc., in England : LTD
In Britain and Ireland the most common type of business (my perception anyway) is one that has private shareholders whose liability is limited to the value of their investment. Such a company is known as a private limited company, and has the letters “Ltd” after the name. If the shares are publicly traded, then the company is a public limited company, and has the letters “plc” after the name.

A company that has incorporated uses the abbreviation “Inc.” after its name. By incorporating, a company forms a corporation, which is a legal entity that has legal rights similar to those of an individual. For example, a corporation can sue another corporation or individual. However, a corporation does not have all the rights of citizens. A corporation does not have the Fifth Amendment right of protections against self-incrimination, for example. It is perhaps understandable that the concept of “corporations as persons” is a frequent subject for debate.

64. Period on Venus that’s longer than a year on Venus (!) : DAY
The planet Venus rotates very slowly. As each rotation is equivalent to one day, a day on Venus lasts about 243 Earth days. Also, Venus orbits the sun relatively quickly, taking about 225 Earth days. So, a day on Venus is longer than a year!

Return to top of page

For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Emancipation Proclamation prez : ABE
4. One of the senses : TOUCH
9. Sound from a would-be test cheater : PSST!
13. Apple computers : MACS
15. Ancient land in Asia Minor : IONIA
16. The Bruins of the N.C.A.A. : UCLA
17. Colorful top often worn with a lei : ALOHA SHIRT (“aloha” is “peace” in Hawaiian)
19. ___ and cons : PROS
20. “Attack, Bowser!” : SIC ‘EM!
21. Part of a grove : TREE
23. Night of anticipation : EVE
24. Tel Aviv skyscraper that was the first to be built in the Mideast : SHALOM MEIR TOWER (“shalom” is “peace” in Hebrew)
28. ___-splitting (really loud) : EAR
29. ___ de Janeiro : RIO
30. Holy sanctuary : SHRINE
31. “Absolutely, amigo!” : SI SI!
33. Yep’s opposite : NOPE
36. Played a part : ACTED
37. Long, tranquil period ushered in by the emperor Augustus : PAX ROMANA (“pax” is “peace” in Latin)
40. “That’s a shame” : SO SAD
43. Roasting rod : SPIT
44. Fire, as from a job : SACK
48. Kit that may include colored pencils and a stencil : ART SET
50. ___-tac-toe : TIC
52. “That’s all ___ wrote” : SHE
53. Orbiter from 1986 to 2001 : MIR SPACE STATION (“mir” is “peace” in Russian)
57. Links org. : PGA
58. Grow weary : TIRE
59. Sticky secretion : RESIN
60. Paying close attention : RAPT
62. Ancient dream of humanity that’s hinted at by the starts of 17-, 24-, 37- and 53-Across (in Hawaiian, Hebrew, Latin and Russian, respectively) : WORLD PEACE
65. “Lucky Jim” author Kingsley : AMIS
66. California’s Santa ___ Derby : ANITA
67. Went kaput : DIED
68. Where dirty dishes pile up : SINK
69. Impoverished : NEEDY
70. Help with the dishwashing, say : DRY

Down
1. Accumulates : AMASSES
2. “South Pacific” show tune : BALI HA’I
3. Fuel-efficient vehicles : ECO-CARS
4. “___ the season …” : ‘TIS
5. “___-la-la!” : OOH
6. Bring together : UNITE
7. High, wispy clouds : CIRRI
8. Critics who can’t be pleased : HATERS
9. Kitten : cat :: ___ : dog : PUP
10. “Oh darn, I give up!” : SCREW IT!
11. Ljubljana resident : SLOVENE
12. Used a stun gun on : TASERED
14. Poet/illustrator Silverstein : SHEL
18. God of love : AMOR
22. Joel Coen’s filmmaking brother : ETHAN
25. Coquette : MINX
26. British wastelands : MOORS
27. Killer whales : ORCAS
32. Bridge declaration when not bidding : I PASS
34. Partner of Snap and Crackle : POP
35. Gives off, as light : EMITS
38. Skilled : ADEPT
39. Going ___ (fighting) : AT IT
40. Pete with seven Wimbledon championships : SAMPRAS
41. Paper-folding craft : ORIGAMI
42. Put on one’s seat belt : STRAP IN
45. “Let me reiterate …” : AS I SAID …
46. Finer in quality : CHOICER
47. Defeater of Nixon in 1960 : KENNEDY
49. Disputed island in the China Sea : TAIWAN
51. Incessantly complain : CARP
54. Witch : CRONE
55. Shiver-inducing : EERIE
56. Ticked (off) : TEED
61. “For shame!” : TSK!
63. Inc., in England : LTD
64. Period on Venus that’s longer than a year on Venus (!) : DAY

Return to top of page

8 thoughts on “0710-17 New York Times Crossword Answers 10 Jul 17, Monday”

  1. Seemed a little tough for a Monday, but it was manageable. Clever theme. Mir means both WORLD and PEACE in Russian so the reveal answer could have been MIR MIR…Actually Russians say WORLD PEACE in a manner that would be translated as "peace in/for all of the world", but that's not as glib sounding….

    Best –

  2. Easy stuff and rather a nice theme: world peace — what's not to like?

    I did get stuck for a minute on CHOICER. That's a clumsy word, but oh well, it IS a word…

  3. Two errors at the CIRRI/SHALOM MEIR TOWER cross. I had an A instead of an I in the name MEIR and I also erred on the pluralizing of CIRRUS. Actually, as I read up about the tower, I learned that almost nobody uses the builder's family name anymore. Most everyone now refers to it as simply the Shalom Tower.

  4. The "I" in the CIRRI/MEIR cross was the last letter in, though both are familiar. But the context of MEIR made Golda Meir's name a bit more elusive.

  5. @ Tom M., you may be under the false impression that the SHALOM MEIR TOWER has something to do with Golda Meir. I thought the same thing. So far as I could learn there is no family connection to Golda. Definitely the tower was not named for her.

  6. 7:12, no mishaps. 65A sure caused some consternation. I was tempted to make 43D STRAPON to get a more familiar first name, AMOS. But, I knew IN was correct for that down clue so I left it.

Comments are closed.