0319-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 19 Mar 2018, Monday

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Constructed by: Michael Wiesenberg & Andrea Carla Michaels
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Rainbow

Themed answers start with one of the seven colors of the RAINBOW:

  • 48A. What the starts of the answers to the seven starred clues constitute : RAINBOW
  • 17A. *Garnish for a cocktail : ORANGE PEEL
  • 23A. *Bureaucratic rigmarole : RED TAPE
  • 26A. *”Closer to Fine” folk-rock duo : INDIGO GIRLS
  • 44A. *Caution to slow down : YELLOW LIGHT
  • 60A. *DC Comics superhero with the sidekick Speedy : GREEN ARROW
  • 10D. *Symbols of happiness : BLUEBIRDS
  • 35D. *Antique medical device used for electrotherapy : VIOLET RAY

Bill’s time: 7m 30s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Radical Hoffman who wrote “Steal This Book” : ABBIE

Abbie Hoffman was the founder of the “Yippies”, an activist group that had violent clashes with the police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Hoffman, along with six other defendants, were eventually brought up on charges related to the protests and became known collectively as the “Chicago Seven”.

14. John who married Pocahontas : ROLFE

John Rolfe was one of the early English settlers in America. He is perhaps best remembered for marrying the Native American Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan. For a few months before her death, Pocahontas lived with Rolfe in England. The couple had actually boarded a ship to return them to Virginia when Pocahontas became ill and had to be brought ashore on the south coast of England, where she soon passed away.

15. On the briny : ASEA

The briny is the sea, from “brine” meaning “salty water”. The term “briny” was originally used for “tears”.

17. *Garnish for a cocktail : ORANGE PEEL

Our word “cocktail” first appeared in the early 1800s. The exact origin of the term is not clear, but it is thought to be a corruption of the French word “coquetier” meaning “egg cup”, a container that was used at that time for serving mixed drinks.

20. The “A” of A.D. : ANNO

The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.

22. Tin Man’s desire : HEART

Actor Jack Haley played the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”. Haley was the second choice for the role, as it was originally given to Buddy Ebsen (who later played Jed Clampett in “The Beverly Hillbillies”). Ebsen was being “painted up” as the Tin Man when he had an extreme, near-fatal reaction from inhaling the aluminum dust makeup that was being used. When Haley took over, the makeup was changed to a paste, but it was still uncomfortable and caused him to miss the first four days of shooting due to a reaction in his eyes. During filming, Haley must have made good friends with the movie’s star, Judy Garland, as years later Jack’s son married Judy’s daughter, Liza Minnelli.

23. *Bureaucratic rigmarole : RED TAPE

Back in the days of yore in England, official documents were bound in bundles with red ribbon. So, getting through all the paperwork required “cutting through the red tape”.

“Rigmarole” is a lovely word, one used for an elaborate and complicated procedure. According to the OED, the term evolved from a medieval game of chance called “Ragman’s Roll”. I guess it was a complicated game …

26. *”Closer to Fine” folk-rock duo : INDIGO GIRLS

Indigo Girls are a folk rock music duo made up of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Ray and Saliers are considered icons in the LGBT community as both identified themselves as lesbians a long time ago, although they have never been a couple.

36. Disney World transport : MONORAIL

The Magic Kingdom in Disney World, Florida receives more visitors annually than any other theme park in the whole world. The Magic Kingdom alone received about 17½ million visitors in 2012, and that’s not including the visitors to nearby Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

38. Father, to Li’l Abner : PAPPY

“Li’l Abner” was created and drawn by Al Capp for over 43 years starting in 1934. Al Capp stopped producing the strip in 1977, largely due to illness (he died from emphysema two years later). As the strip finished up, he went so far as to apologize to his long-standing fans, saying that he should have stopped 3-4 years earlier as he felt that the quality of his work had gone down in those latter years. The comic strip character’s full name is “Li’l Abner Yokum”.

40. Russian legislature : DUMA

A duma is a representative assembly in Russia. The word “dumat” in Russian means “to think, consider”.

44. *Caution to slow down : YELLOW LIGHT

The first traffic lights date back to 1868 when they were installed outside the Houses of Parliament in London. They resembled the signals already in use for trains, with semaphore arms and red and green gas lamps for nighttime use. That first system was operated manually, by a policeman at the base. Sadly, one police officer was killed, just one year after the light’s installation, when the gas system exploded.

48. What the starts of the answers to the seven starred clues constitute : RAINBOW

Sunlight shining through airborne water droplets can produce rainbows. The water droplets act as little prisms, dispersing the white light into its constituent colors. Sometimes we see double rainbows. If we look carefully, we can see that the order of the colors in the first and second arcs is reversed.

53. Fountain drinks : MALTS

Walgreens claims to have introduced the malted milkshake, back in 1922.

56. Letters suggesting “I’ll just go ahead and throw this out” : FWIW

For what it’s worth (FWIW)

58. Anise-flavored liqueur : OUZO

Ouzo is an apéritif from Greece that is colorless and flavored with anise. Ouzo is similar to French pastis and Italian sambuca.

59. Taiwanese computer brand : ACER

Acer is a Taiwanese company that I visited a couple of times when I was in the electronics business. I was very impressed back then with the company’s dedication to quality, although I have heard that things haven’t gone so well in recent years …

60. *DC Comics superhero with the sidekick Speedy : GREEN ARROW

The Green Arrow is a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He dresses like Robin Hood and used specially adapted arrows that give him his superpowers.

62. “30 Rock” star Fey : TINA

“30 Rock” is a sitcom on NBC that was created by the show’s star Tina Fey. Fey is an ex-performer and writer from “Saturday Night Live” and uses her experiences on that show as a basis for the “30 Rock” storyline. Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer for the fictional sketch comedy series “TGS with Tracy Jordan”.

64. Chili con ___ : CARNE

The full name of the dish that is often called simply “chili” is “chili con carne”, Spanish for “peppers with meat”. The dish was created by immigrants from the Spanish Canary Islands in the city of San Antonio, Texas (a city which the islanders founded). The San Antonio Chili Stand was a popular attraction at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and that stand introduced the dish to the rest of America and to the world.

67. Did a blacksmith’s job on : SHOED

A blacksmith is someone who forges and shapes iron, perhaps to make horseshoes. A farrier is someone who fits horseshoes onto the hooves of horses. The term “blacksmith” is sometimes used for one who shoes horses, especially as many blacksmiths make horseshoes and fit them as well.

Down

5. Hosp. readout : EEG

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of electrical activity caused by the firing of neurons within the brain. The EEG might be used to diagnose epilepsy, or perhaps to determine if a patient is “brain dead”.

11. Simpson with a high I.Q. : LISA

Lisa Simpson is Bart’s brainy younger sister on TV’s “The Simpsons”. Lisa is voiced by actress Yeardley Smith. In a 2008 episode of the show, Lisa enters a crossword tournament. Crossword celebrities Merl Reagle and Will Shortz make appearances in that episode, basically playing cartoon versions of themselves.

18. “Monday Night Football” channel : ESPN

“Monday Night Football” aired on ABC from 1970 until 2005, before moving to ESPN in 2006.

22. Victor who wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” : HUGO

Victor Hugo was a French poet and playwright who is known in his native country mainly for his poetry. However, outside of France, Hugo is perhaps more closely associated with his novels such as “Les Misérables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”.

The title character in Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” is Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell-ringer . Quasimodo falls for the beautiful Roma girl Esmeralda, and eventually rescues her just before she is due be hanged. He carries Esmeralda into Notre-Dame crying out “Sanctuary!” There is some recent evidence that a hunchbacked stone carver, working at Notre-Dame at the same time Hugo was alive, may have been the inspiration for the Quasimodo the bell-ringer.

27. Louvre Pyramid architect : IM PEI

I. M. Pei (full name: Ieoh Ming Pei) is an exceptional American architect who was born in China. Of Pei’s many wonderful works, my favorite is the renovation of the Louvre in Paris, especially the Glass Pyramid in the courtyard.

28. Lincoln was its first successful standard-bearer, for short : GOP

The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the US, elected in 1860 as the first president from the Republican Party. Lincoln’s electoral support came almost exclusively from the north and west of the country, winning only 2 out of 996 counties in the Southern slave states. Lincoln led the country through Civil War, and then was assassinated in 1865 just a few days after Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of Northern Virginia. President Lincoln was succeeded in office by Vice President Andrew Johnson.

29. ___ Julia, actor who played Gomez Addams : RAUL

Raúl Juliá was a Hollywood actor from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Julia had a very distinguished career, but is perhaps best known for portraying Gomez Addams in the two film adaptations of “The Addams Family”.

32. Neutrogena rival : OLAY

Oil of Olay was developed in South Africa in 1949. When Oil of Olay was introduced internationally, it was given slightly different brand names designed to appeal in the different geographies. In Ireland we know it as Oil of Ulay, for example, and in France it is Oil of Olaz.

33. Cairo’s river : NILE

Depending on definition, the Nile is generally regarded as the longest river on the planet. The Nile forms from two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which join together near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. From Khartoum the Nile flows north, traveling almost entirely through desert making it central to life for the peoples living along its length.

Cairo is the capital city of Egypt. It is nicknamed “The City of a Thousand Minarets” because of its impressive skyline replete with Islamic architecture. The name “Cairo” is a European corruption of the city’s original name in Arabic, “Al-Qahira”.

34. It’s in a pickle : DILL

Often a dill pickle is actually a pickled gherkin, as the gherkin and cucumber are different cultivars within the same species. Here in the US, dill is commonly added to the pickling vinegar or brine, but this wasn’t the case when I used to eat them back in Ireland (I can’t stand dill!). You might see jars labeled as “cornichons”, but they’re gherkins. “Cornichon” is just the French word for “gherkin”.

38. Lowly chess piece : PAWN

In the game of chess, the pawns are the weakest pieces on the board. A pawn that can make it to the opposite of the board can be promoted to a piece of choice, usually a queen. Using promotion of pawns, it is possible for a player to have two or more queens on the board at one time. However, standard chess sets come with only one queen per side, so a captured rook is often used as the second queen by placing it on the board upside down.

39. Home of the Braves: Abbr. : ATL

The Atlanta Braves are the only team to have won baseball’s World Series in three different home cities. They won as the Boston Braves in 1914, the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and the Atlanta Braves in 1995.

43. “Lord, is ___?”: Matthew 26:22 : IT I

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his apostles that one of them would betray him that day. According to the Gospel of Matthew:

And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

46. Actress Goldie : HAWN

I remember watching the ditsy Goldie Hawn character on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”. Hawn used to give great performances on the show, convincing everyone that she was the stereotypical dumb blonde. Well, what a great career she was to carve out for herself!

49. “Don’t Know Why” singer Jones : NORAH

The beguiling Norah Jones is the daughter of famous sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, and is one of my favorite singers. If you haven’t heard Jones sing her song “Come Away with Me”, you just haven’t lived …

50. Beast of burden : BURRO

Our word “burro” meaning donkey comes from the Spanish word for the same animal, namely “burrico”.

51. Layer of the upper atmosphere : OZONE

Ozone gets its name from the Greek word “ozein” meaning “to smell”. It was given this name as ozone’s formation during lightning storms was detected by the gas’s distinctive smell. Famously, there is a relatively high concentration of the gas in the “ozone layer” in the Earth’s stratosphere. This ozone layer provides a vital function for animal life on the planet as it absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation. A molecule of ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms, whereas a “normal” oxygen has just two atoms

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Radical Hoffman who wrote “Steal This Book” : ABBIE
6. Stimulating quality : ZING
10. Huff and puff : BLOW
14. John who married Pocahontas : ROLFE
15. On the briny : ASEA
16. Opposite of “on tape” : LIVE
17. *Garnish for a cocktail : ORANGE PEEL
19. Takes advantage of : USES
20. The “A” of A.D. : ANNO
21. Zipped along : SPED
22. Tin Man’s desire : HEART
23. *Bureaucratic rigmarole : RED TAPE
25. Place for drinks : PUB
26. *”Closer to Fine” folk-rock duo : INDIGO GIRLS
32. How some home videos are stored : ON DVD
36. Disney World transport : MONORAIL
37. 53, in old Rome : LIII
38. Father, to Li’l Abner : PAPPY
40. Russian legislature : DUMA
41. Dole out : ALLOCATE
43. Bit of land in the ocean : ISLET
44. *Caution to slow down : YELLOW LIGHT
47. Very long time : EON
48. What the starts of the answers to the seven starred clues constitute : RAINBOW
53. Fountain drinks : MALTS
56. Letters suggesting “I’ll just go ahead and throw this out” : FWIW
58. Anise-flavored liqueur : OUZO
59. Taiwanese computer brand : ACER
60. *DC Comics superhero with the sidekick Speedy : GREEN ARROW
62. “30 Rock” star Fey : TINA
63. Shipwreck site, perhaps : REEF
64. Chili con ___ : CARNE
65. Circular water current : EDDY
66. Exerciser’s sets : REPS
67. Did a blacksmith’s job on : SHOED

Down

1. Loud, as a crowd : AROAR
2. Carried : BORNE
3. Flavorless : BLAND
4. “Otherwise …” : IF NOT …
5. Hosp. readout : EEG
6. Heated in a microwave : ZAPPED
7. “Uh-huh” : I SEE
8. Requirement : NEED
9. Cowpoke’s sweetie : GAL
10. *Symbols of happiness : BLUEBIRDS
11. Simpson with a high I.Q. : LISA
12. So last year, as a fad : OVER
13. Sunset’s direction : WEST
18. “Monday Night Football” channel : ESPN
22. Victor who wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” : HUGO
24. Earthquake relief, e.g. : AID
25. Small equine : PONY
27. Louvre Pyramid architect : IM PEI
28. Lincoln was its first successful standard-bearer, for short : GOP
29. ___ Julia, actor who played Gomez Addams : RAUL
30. Tart, green fruit : LIME
31. Shutter strip : SLAT
32. Neutrogena rival : OLAY
33. Cairo’s river : NILE
34. It’s in a pickle : DILL
35. *Antique medical device used for electrotherapy : VIOLET RAY
38. Lowly chess piece : PAWN
39. Home of the Braves: Abbr. : ATL
42. Dove sounds : COOS
43. “Lord, is ___?”: Matthew 26:22 : IT I
45. Intense sorrows : GRIEFS
46. Actress Goldie : HAWN
49. “Don’t Know Why” singer Jones : NORAH
50. Beast of burden : BURRO
51. Layer of the upper atmosphere : OZONE
52. Superimpressed : WOWED
53. One sock, to another : MATE
54. Gastric ___ : ACID
55. Supply temporarily : LEND
56. They say there’s no such thing as this kind of lunch : FREE
57. Shed tears : WEEP
60. Watchdog’s warning : GRR!
61. Cooling units, for short : ACS

9 thoughts on “0319-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 19 Mar 2018, Monday”

  1. 7:08 after finding and fixing a typo that had turned ALLOCATE/VIOLET RAY into ALLLCATE/VILLET RAY. (If only I could train one eye to focus on the finger doing the typing and the other one to focus on the results! What could possibly go wrong? ?)

  2. Re. “Quasimodo” – You probably know this already, but if not I thought you might be interested in the derivation of that name Hugo picked for Quasimodo. I am fairly certain that it derives from Quasi modo geniti infantes,”translation: “as newly born babes,” which I remember from the old Latin liturgy (I’m 91 years old). The octave day of Easter was called “Low Sunday,” a poor designation. It was on this day that the newly baptized Christians finally laid aside the white robes which they had donned at the Easter vigil.

    Wikipedia explains:

    The term Octave of Easter refers to the eight-day period (Octave) in Eastertide that starts on Easter Sunday and runs until the Sunday following Easter, known as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Octave Day of Easter refers only to that day. It is also called Low Sunday, particularly in the Anglican Communion. It may be called St. Thomas Sunday, especially among Eastern Christians or Quasimodo Sunday and Quasimodogeniti. Since 1970 Low Sunday has been officially known as the Second Sunday of Easter Season in the Roman Catholic Church.

  3. 8:19, no errors. I like to learn new things each day, had not heard of a VIOLET RAY nor of the Catholic history of Easter.

  4. No errors. I really appreciate @Tom Sheridan’s comment. Such thoroughness is rare.

  5. A first-rate Monday puzzle, IMO. Three write-overs: Zest before ZING, rind before PEEL, and fOal before PONY.

  6. 10:50, no errors. For some reason the area where PUB/PONY and BLUEBIRDS/ISLET come together gave me no end of 45D. Naturally, once I finally figured it out, I slap my forehead and say, “Duh!” but this took an embarrassingly long time for a Monday.

  7. 48A: The colors of a prism are best remembered by the acronym “Roy G. Biv”.

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