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Constructed by: David J. Kahn
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: The OK Corral
We have several references to a famous GUNFIGHT that took place AT THE OK CORRAL:
- 17A. Deputy marshal at 62-Across : DOC HOLLIDAY
- 28D. With 62-Across, renowned 1881 event that lasted about 30 seconds : GUNFIGHT AT …
- 62A. See 28-Down … or a punny description of this puzzle’s circled answers? : … THE OK CORRAL
- 11D. Outlaw at 62-Across : IKE CLANTON
There are also four answers CORRALLED, forming a circle, at the center of the grid. Each is a synonym of “OK”:
- 31A Wishful place? : WELL
- 52A. Punishment that might follow a summons : FINE
- 35D. Expo : FAIR
- 37D. Actor Gyllenhaal : JAKE
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
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Bill’s time: 7m 16s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. East Asia gambling locale : MACAO
Macau (also “Macao”) was a Portuguese colony, the first European colony in China, which was established in the 16th century. Macau was handed back to the Chinese in 1999, two years after Hong Kong was returned by the British. That made Macau the last European colony in China. Today Macau’s economy is driven by tourism and gambling.
11. Grocery chain inits. : IGA
“IGA” stands for Independent Grocers Alliance, a chain of supermarkets that extends right around the world. IGA’s headquarters is in Chicago. The company uses the slogan “Hometown Proud Supermarkets”.
15. Like krypton : INERT
The noble gases (also “rare gases”) are those elements over on the extreme right of the Periodic Table. Because of their “full” complement of electrons, noble gases are very unreactive. The six noble gases that occur naturally are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon.
17. Deputy marshal at 62-Across : DOC HOLLIDAY
The famous gunslinger Doc Holliday was from Georgia, and received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia. Holliday moved to the Southwest after he contracted tuberculosis, in the hope that the climate might be good for his health. He first settled in Dallas, where he soon discovered that he could make a better living gambling than by running a dental practice. It was while gambling in saloons that Holliday got involved in gunfights and built a reputation as a gunslinger. The most famous shootout in which he was involved was the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona when he fought alongside the Earp brothers. Holliday survived his many gunfights, but eventually succumbed to the disease in his lungs. He died in Glenwood Springs, Colorado at the age of 36.
21. Peyote : MESCAL
Mezcal (also “mescal”) is a distilled spirit made from the agave plant. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal that is distilled specifically from the blue agave.
The peyote is a small spineless cactus that is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico. When ingested, the peyote is known to have a psychoactive effect. One of the psychoactive alkaloids in peyote is mescaline, a drug of choice for the likes Aldous Huxley and Pablo Picasso.
23. Track star with an apt name : BOLT
Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who won the 100m and 200m race gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Back in Jamaica, Bolt was really into cricket and probably would have been a very successful fast bowler had he not hit the track instead.
31. Wishful place? : WELL
A wishing well is a phenomenon that comes from European folklore. The concept arose from the belief that water housed friendly gods.
33. Potato chip brand : LAY’S
Lay’s potato chips were introduced in 1938 by Herman W. Lay. Lay started selling his chips out the trunk of his car, travelling all over the US. In those days the chips were pretty much handmade, but Lay put an end to that in 1942. He invented the first continuous potato processor in 1948, and chips started to take over the world!
38. Kind of republic : BANANA
The term “Banana Republic” is used to describe a politically unstable country.
47. San ___, Italy : REMO
The Italian city of San Remo sits on the Mediterranean, right on the border with France. In Italian the city is named Sanremo, just one word, although the spelling of “San Remo” dates back to ancient times.
49. Banks of Chicago : ERNIE
First baseman Ernie Banks was known as “Mr. Cub”, and played his entire 19-year professional career with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs retired Banks’ uniform number 14 in 1982, making him the first Cubs player to be so honored. Banks was known for his catchphrase, “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame … Let’s play two!”, a reference to his love of the game, always wanting to play a doubleheader.
50. Broadway backer : ANGEL
Broadway angels are people who invest money in Broadway shows.
56. Some fish bait : MINNOWS
Minnow are small fish often used as bait when fishing. The term “minnow” is used figuratively to for someone who is comparatively insignificant or perhaps small in stature.
65. In the mode of : A LA
The phrase “in the style of” can be translated in “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.
68. Crunchy lunch order : BLT
The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.
69. Schindler of “Schindler’s List” : OSKAR
Oskar Schindler is the protagonist in the Steven Spielberg movie “Schindler’s List”. Schindler was a real person who survived WWII. During the Holocaust, Schindler managed to save almost 1,200 Jews from perishing by employing them in his factories. After the war, Schindler and his wife were left penniless having used his assets to protect and feed his workers. For years the couple survived on the charity of Jewish groups. Schindler tried to make a go of it in business again but never had any real success. He died a pauper in 1974 in Hildesheim, not far from Hanover. His last wish was to be buried in Jerusalem. Schindler was the only former member of the Nazi Party to be buried on Mount Zion.
Down
3. Designer Chanel : COCO
Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer. Perhaps because I am a man, clothes design is not my forte. However, if I had to pick a designer whose clothes I really liked, it would be Chanel. She had a way of creating simpler designs that look so elegant on a woman.
4. Queens’s ___ Stadium : ASHE
The Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York opened in 1997 and for years was the largest outdoor, tennis-only venue in the world. The stadium was often criticized for not having a retractable dome to protect the playing surface from inclement weather. Well, that changed in 2016 when the stadium debuted its new retractable roof, a $150 million investment in the facility.
5. However, in a tweet : OTOH
On the other hand (OTOH)
9. Disneyland transport : TRAM
Walt Disney came up with the idea of building Disneyland after visiting other theme parks with his daughters in the thirties and forties. He started building the park at Anaheim, California in 1954, and the facility opened just one year and one day later. The total cost of construction was $17 million. Opening day did not go smoothly, largely because over 28,000 people visited the park compared to the 11,000 people expected at the invitation-only event. The opening day went so badly that for years Disney executives referred to it as “Black Sunday”.
10. Ocular woes : STYES
A stye is a bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes, and is also known as a hordeolum.
11. Outlaw at 62-Across : IKE CLANTON
Ike and Billy Clanton participated in what has to be the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that took place in Tombstone, Arizona. Strangely enough, the fight didn’t happen at the O.K. Corral, but took place six doors down the street in a vacant lot next to a photography studio.
24. “Everyone needs a little ___” (cable channel slogan) : TLC
The cable channel known today as TLC started out life as The Learning Channel. Programming on TLC was originally focused on educational content, but today there is an emphasis on reality television.
26. Wall St. trader : ARB
“Arb” is short for “arbitrageur”. That’s someone one who profits from the purchase of securities in one market and the subsequent sale in another by taking advantage of price discrepancies across markets.
27. Grant-making grp. : NEA
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an agency funded by the federal government that offers support and financing for artistic projects. The NEA was created by an Act of Congress in 1965. Between 1965 and 2008, the NEA awarded over $4 billion to the arts, with Congress authorizing around $170 million annually through the eighties and much of the nineties. That funding was cut to less than $100 million in the late nineties due to pressure from conservatives concerned about the use of funds, but it is now back over the $150 million mark. I wonder how long that will last though …
28. With 62-Across, renowned 1881 event that lasted about 30 seconds : GUNFIGHT AT …
(62. See 28-Down … or a punny description of this puzzle’s circled answers? : … THE OK CORRAL)
“Corral” is the Spanish word for an enclosure for livestock, and is a word we’ve imported into English. Ultimately, the term comes from the Vulgar Latin “currale” meaning “enclosure for carts”, itself coming from “currus”, the Latin for “cart”.
29. Angry boxer, e.g. : SNARLER
The boxer breed of dog (one of my favorites!) originated in Germany. My first dog was a boxer/Labrador mix, a beautiful combination. Our current family dog is a boxer/pug mix, and is another gorgeous animal.
30. Baseball’s Martinez : TINO
First baseman Tino Martinez has retired from Major League Baseball. Martinez played for a number of teams including the Mariners, Yankees, Cardinals and Devil Rays. Martinez was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and as a boy he worked in his father’s cigar factory.
32. Logan of “60 Minutes” : LARA
Lara Logan is a South African newswoman, and is currently the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for CBS News. CBS placed Logan on a forced leave of absence at the end of 2013 for comments that she made about the US Government’s culpability in the Benghazi attack and for inaccuracies in her reporting of the story.
37. Actor Gyllenhaal : JAKE
Jake Gyllenhaal’s most famous role has to be as co-star with Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain”, but he has also had lead roles in big movies like “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Jarhead” and “Rendition”.
41. Saison sur la Seine : ETE
In French, “été” (summer) is “la saison chaude” (the warm season).
The Seine is the river that flows through Paris. The Seine empties into the English Channel to the north, at the port city of Le Havre.
45. Thick-trunked tree : BAOBAB
“Baobab” is the common name for an Adansonia tree, most species of which are native to Madagascar. The name Adansonia was given in honor of the French naturalist and explorer Michel Adanson.
48. Cocktail at brunch : MIMOSA
Where I come from, the cocktail known in North America as a mimosa is called a buck’s fizz, with the latter named for Buck’s Club in London where it was introduced in 1921. The mimosa came along a few years later, apparently first being served in the Paris Ritz. If you want to make a mimosa, it’s a 50-50 mix of champagne and orange juice, and it is very tasty …
53. Bottom-of-letter abbr. : ENC
Enclosure (enc.)
57. Nibble (on) : NOSH
Our word “nosh” has been around since the late fifties, when it was imported from the Yiddish word “nashn” meaning “to nibble”. We use “nosh” as a noun that means snack, or as a verb meaning to eat between meals.
58. Sea predator : ORCA
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.
59. State bird of Arizona or South Carolina : WREN
A wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests.
60. With 42-Across, coolness of mind : SANG-
(42A. See 60-Down : … FROID)
“Sang-froid” is coolness, composure. The term is French for “cool blood”.
64. Guitarist Paul : LES
Les Paul was a guitarist, songwriter and inventor. When he was 33 years old, Paul was involved in a near-fatal car crash that left his right arm and elbow shattered. Surgeons offered him the choice of amputation or a rebuilding of the limb that would leave him unable to bend his elbow. He told them to set his arm at just under 90 degrees so that he could at least hold his guitar and perhaps play it.
Read on, or …
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. East Asia gambling locale : MACAO
6. Loses strength : WILTS
11. Grocery chain inits. : IGA
14. Start of a dieter’s brag : I LOST …
15. Like krypton : INERT
16. Down for the count, for short : KO’D
17. Deputy marshal at 62-Across : DOC HOLLIDAY
19. Close down : END
20. Initial progress : TOEHOLD
21. Peyote : MESCAL
23. Track star with an apt name : BOLT
25. Healing lotion : SALVE
26. Uneasy sensation : ANGST
31. Wishful place? : WELL
33. Potato chip brand : LAY’S
34. Bring together again : REUNIFY
36. Cuisine heavy in rice and spices : CAJUN
38. Kind of republic : BANANA
39. Toy in a crib : RATTLE
42. See 60-Down : … FROID
44. Detect : MAKE OUT
45. Be hot under the collar : BOIL
47. San ___, Italy : REMO
49. Banks of Chicago : ERNIE
50. Broadway backer : ANGEL
52. Punishment that might follow a summons : FINE
54. Earthy colors : OCHRES
56. Some fish bait : MINNOWS
61. Club for swingers : BAT
62. See 28-Down … or a punny description of this puzzle’s circled answers? : … THE OK CORRAL
65. In the mode of : A LA
66. Silly sorts : GEESE
67. It may be stolen on a movie set : SCENE
68. Crunchy lunch order : BLT
69. Schindler of “Schindler’s List” : OSKAR
70. Pends : HANGS
Down
1. Prefix with summer : MID-
2. Gazillions : A LOT
3. Designer Chanel : COCO
4. Queens’s ___ Stadium : ASHE
5. However, in a tweet : OTOH
6. Tall and supple : WILLOWY
7. Out of gear : IN IDLE
8. Commanded : LED
9. Disneyland transport : TRAM
10. Ocular woes : STYES
11. Outlaw at 62-Across : IKE CLANTON
12. Cheer before “Beat Army!” : GO NAVY!
13. Confuses : ADDLES
18. Court setup? : LOB
22. Private, often : SALUTER
24. “Everyone needs a little ___” (cable channel slogan) : TLC
26. Wall St. trader : ARB
27. Grant-making grp. : NEA
28. With 62-Across, renowned 1881 event that lasted about 30 seconds : GUNFIGHT AT …
29. Angry boxer, e.g. : SNARLER
30. Baseball’s Martinez : TINO
32. Logan of “60 Minutes” : LARA
35. Expo : FAIR
37. Actor Gyllenhaal : JAKE
40. Him, to Henri : LUI
41. Saison sur la Seine : ETE
43. Cool, in dated slang : DEF
44. Handle : MONIKER
45. Thick-trunked tree : BAOBAB
46. Ready at any time : ON CALL
48. Cocktail at brunch : MIMOSA
51. Set loose : LET GO
53. Bottom-of-letter abbr. : ENC
55. “___ Funny That Way” (classic song) : SHE’S
57. Nibble (on) : NOSH
58. Sea predator : ORCA
59. State bird of Arizona or South Carolina : WREN
60. With 42-Across, coolness of mind : SANG-
63. Cartoon cry : EEK!
64. Guitarist Paul : LES
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7 thoughts on “1011-17 NY Times Crossword Answers 11 Oct 2017, Wednesday”
Comments are closed.
22:40. The spelling of MACAO confused me a little, but I left it when I got the “Congratulations” banner. SANG FROID and BAOBOB threw me a little too. Had to get those via crosses. Clever theme(s)
Best –
13:23, including a few seconds spent in changing the “U” of MACAU to an “O” to get MACAO and OTOH (which I had neglected to check, else I would not have made the error in the first place). Actually, I think I made every possible misstep in this puzzle: my fingers seemed to be disconnected from my brain (which wasn’t doing all that well to begin with … 🙂
Difficult, and too many sports.
14:07, no errors. Had to extricate myself from the entry of ILS in 40D, always had difficulty in the use of he/him/they’ (il/LUI/ils). My ‘pet peeve’ strikes again!
No errors. Great puzzle IMO. Makes me want to go back and watch a documentary on the famous gunfight again. I am not saying that I would take any pleasure in seeing people gun each other down but it was definitely a dramatic moment in time.
13:20 and 4 errors. Just isn’t my week. And this isn’t my puzzle, either. I made my share of other mistakes, yes, but the “OK” fills, especially JAKE are flat out *STUPID*. How pieces of trash like this end up in print is beyond me.
BAOBAB is a real stinker.