0715-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 15 Jul 2018, Sunday

Constructed by: Sam Ezersky & Byron Walden
Edited by: Will Shortz

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Today’s Theme: Complimentary

Themed answers are common phrases that have been reinterpreted as COMPLIMENTARY statements to specific professionals:

  • 24A. Compliment to a lawmaker? : OUTSTANDING BILLS
  • 36A. Compliment to a composer? : RADICAL MOVEMENT
  • 62A. Compliment to a lecturer? : SWEET TALK
  • 64A. Compliment to a taxonomist? : STELLAR CLASSIFICATION
  • 67A. Compliment to a champion speller? : KILLER BEE
  • 87A. Compliment to a charity organizer? : SOLID FOUNDATION
  • 103A. Compliment to a vegetable gardener? : SMASHING PUMPKINS

Bill’s time: 22m 03s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1. Iams competitor : ALPO

Alpo is a brand of dog food introduced by Allen Products in 1936, with “Alpo” being an abbreviation for “Allen Products”. Lorne Greene used to push Alpo in television spots, as did Ed McMahon and Garfield the Cat, would you believe?

20. Podcast host Maron : MARC

Stand-up comedian Marc Maron has been hosting the podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” since 2009. The online show features interviews with comedians and celebrities. The list of interviewees is pretty impressive, and includes Conan O’Brien, Robin Williams and even President Barack Obama.

21. Fred Flintstone’s boss : MR SLATE

In “The Flintstone” animated TV show, Fred Flintstone operates a bronto-crane at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company, which is owned by Fred’s boss Mr. Slate.

22. Weathers, as a hurricane : RIDES OUT

A severe tropical storms is called a hurricane when it occurs in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, a typhoon in the Northwest Pacific, and a cyclone in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Tropical storms form over warm water, picking up energy from the evaporation from the ocean surface.

29. Drug used to combat A.D.H.D. : ADDERALL

Adderall is a drug used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as narcolepsy. Adderall is also misused as a recreational drug as it is considered an aphrodisiac and a euphoriant.

The “official” name for the condition we sometimes still refer to as “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) is “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD).

39. ___ voce : SOTTO

“Sotto voce” literally means “under the voice” in Italian, and describes the deliberate lowering of one’s voice for emphasis.

44. Crème de ___ : MENTHE

A “cream liqueur” is one that includes dairy cream. The most famous example is probably Baileys Irish Cream, that is made made from cream and Irish whiskey. A crème liqueur, on the other hand, is one that includes a lot of added sugar, but no dairy cream. Examples are crème de cacao (chocolate-flavored), crème de menthe (mint-flavored) and crème de cassis (blackcurrant-flavored).

47. Toe, to a tot : PIGGY

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home.

50. John, Paul or George, but not Ringo : SAINT

Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles, replacing drummer Pete Best, Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

55. Lake vessel : CANOE

The boat know as a canoe takes its name from the Carib word “kenu” meaning “dugout”. It was Christopher Columbus who brought “kenu” into Spanish as “canoa”, which evolved into our English “canoe”.

56. Water cooler? : BRIG

A brig is a two-masted sailing vessel, with the name “brig” coming from the related vessel known as a brigantine. Brigs and brigantines are both two-masted, but there is a difference in the sails used. It was the use of retired brigs as prison ships that led to use of “brig” as the word for a jail or prison cell on a seagoing vessel.

58. Cornbread variety named for where it’s baked : ASHCAKE

An ashcake is a type of cornbread that is usually made by wrapping cornmeal in cabbage leaves and then baking the “package” in the hot ashes of a campfire.

59. Film role for the dog Skippy : ASTA

Asta is the wonderful little dog in the superb “The Thin Man” series of films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy (as Nick and Nora Charles). In the original story by Dashiell Hammett, Asta was a female Schnauzer, but on screen Asta was played by a wire-haired fox terrier called “Skippy”. Skippy was also the dog in “Bringing up Baby” with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the one who kept stealing the dinosaur bone. Skippy retired in 1939, so Asta was played by other dogs in the remainder of “The Thin Man” films.

60. Meditative discipline : TAI CHI

More correctly called “t‘ai chi ch‘uan”, tai chi is a martial art that is mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.

64. Compliment to a taxonomist? : STELLAR CLASSIFICATION

Stars are commonly classified by the color of the light that they emit. These classifications are, from hottest to coolest, O, B, A, F, G, K and M. One way to remember the order of these letters is to use the mnemonic “Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me”. The colors of these stars range from blue (class O) to red (class M). Our sun is class G, a yellow star. I think we all know that …

Taxonomy is the classification of organisms or maybe even just items into groups or categories. We are most familiar with the classification of organisms in the major taxonomic ranks of:

  • Life
  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

67. Compliment to a champion speller? : KILLER BEE

Back in 18th-century America, when neighbors would gather to work for the benefit of one of their group, such a meeting was called a bee. The name “bee” was an allusion to the social nature of the insect. In modern parlance, a further element of entertainment and pleasure has been introduced, for example in a quilting bee, or even a spelling bee.

68. Smallville : PODUNK

“Podunk” is an Algonquian word meaning a boggy place (literally “where you sink in mire”). European settlers used the name “Podunk” for the indigenous people that lived in what is now southern New England. These Podunks had no name for themselves as a tribe, and they were christened “Podunks” as they lived on relatively marshy lands. “Podunk” has come to mean “the middle of nowhere”.

69. 2002 Literature Nobelist Kertész : IMRE

Imre Kertész is a Hungarian author. Kertész is of Jewish descent and is a survivor of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002.

70. Snack with a rock climber on its wrapper : CLIF BAR

A CLIF Bar is an energy bar, the flagship product of Clif Bar and Company based in Emeryville, California. The CLIF Bar was developed by baker and former mountain guide Gary Erickson in 1990. He named it for his father Clifford.

72. Gettysburg general : MEADE

George Meade was a career army officer with a depth of experience in civil and military operations even before the onset of the Civil War. During the war he rose to the level of commander of the Army of the Potomac, and is best remembered for leading the Union forces that defeated General Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg in 1863.

77. Banned game projectiles : JARTS

Jarts is a brand of lawn darts.

Lawn darts is a game played on lawns in which participants toss large darts towards horizontal targets laid out on the grass. After many injuries, and several deaths, lawn darts were banned in the US and Canada. A modified version of lawn darts that uses projectiles with blunt tips can now be purchased in the US.

78. [not my mistake] : SIC

[Sic] indicates that a quotation is written as originally found, perhaps including a typo. “Sic” is Latin for “thus, like this”. The term is more completely written as “sic erat scriptum”, which translates as “thus was it written”.

84. Claim in e-cigarette ads : NO TAR

The partially-combusted particulate matter that is produced as a cigarette burns forms a resinous material called “tar”. Cigarette tar is different than the tar used on roads, but is very toxic. Marijuana smoke produces a very similar tar to cigarette smoke, and is just as dangerous.

93. Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS

A resident assistant or resident adviser (RA) is a peer leader found in a residence hall, particularly on a college campus.

95. Major exporter of uranium : NIGER

The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in Western Africa that gets its name from the Niger River. 80% of the country lies within the bounds of the Sahara Desert.

96. Hand-to-hand combat weapon : STILETTO

The stiletto knife was developed in Italy, and is a knife intended for thrusting and stabbing as opposed to slashing and cutting. The term “stiletto” comes from the Latin “stilus”, which was a thin pointed writing instrument used in Ancient Rome to engrave wax or clay tablets. And, there are also stiletto heels on some women’s shoes, heels that are long and thin.

100. Athlete honored on Richmond’s Monument Avenue : ASHE

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player from Richmond, Virginia. In his youth, Ashe found himself having to travel great distances to play against Caucasian opponents due to the segregation that still existed in his home state. He was rewarded for his dedication by being selected for the 1963 US Davis Cup team, the first African American player to be so honored. Ashe continued to run into trouble because of his ethnicity though, and in 1968 was denied entry into South Africa to play in the South African Open. In 1979 Ashe suffered a heart attack and had bypass surgery, with follow-up surgery four years later during which he contracted HIV from blood transfusions. Ashe passed away in 1993 due to complications from AIDS. Shortly afterwards, Ashe was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

103. Compliment to a vegetable gardener? : SMASHING PUMPKINS

The Smashing Pumpkins are an alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Chicago.

107. What the “s” stands for in “scuba” : SELF-

The self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) was co-invented by celebrated French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau.

110. “___ Enchanted” (2004 film) : ELLA

“Ella Enchanted” is a fantasy novel written by Gail Carson Levine, and published in 1997. It is a retelling of the story of Cinderella, with lots of mythical creatures added. A film adaptation was released in 2004, starring Anne Hathaway in the title role.

1. Key of Mozart’s “Odense” Symphony : A MINOR

There is a long list of symphonies that were once attributed to Mozart, but which have now been proven not to be his work, or are still in doubt. One of these is “Symphony in A minor”, which has been nicknamed “Odense” as it was discovered in the city of Odense, Denmark in 1983.

4. Color-changing creatures : OCTOPI

The name “octopus” comes from the Greek for “eight-footed”. The most common plural used is “octopuses”, although the Greek plural form “octopodes” is also quite correct. The plural “octopi” isn’t really correct as the inference is that “octopus” is like a second-declension Latin noun, which it isn’t. That said, dictionaries are now citing “octopi” as an acceptable plural. Language does evolve, even though it drives me crazy …

5. “Yo te ___” (Spanish 101 phrase) : AMO

In Spanish, one might say “yo te amo” (I love you) “con flores” (with flowers).

7. Some inclement weather, in broadcast shorthand : T-STORMS

Thunderstorm (t-storm)

9. GPS system, e.g. : SAT NAV

A global positioning system (GPS) is known as a satellite navigation system (Sat Nav) in Britain and Ireland.

12. Weapon resembling the letter psi : TRIDENT

Psi is the 23rd and penultimate letter of the Greek alphabet, and the one that looks a bit like a trident or a pitchfork.

16. Alternative to Parmesan : ASIAGO

Asiago is a crumbly cheese that is named for the region in northeastern Italy from where it originates.

17. Chuck ___, four-time Super Bowl-winning coach : NOLL

Chuck Noll was the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1991. Noll won the Super Bowl four times in all as head coach, an NFL record.

19. Uranians and Neptunians : ETS

Extraterrestrial (ET)

27. Musical set in St.-Tropez, familiarly : LA CAGE

The musical “La Cage aux Folles” opened on Broadway in 1985. It is an adaptation of the French play of the same name by Jean Poiret that was first staged in 1973. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing the stage play nor the musical, but I love the wonderful movie adaptation called “The Birdcage”, which was released in 1996. The film has a very strong cast that includes Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman and Hank Azaria.

Saint-Tropez is a town in southeastern France on the French Riviera. These days, Saint-Tropez is very much associated with the European and American jet set. The town is named for a legendary martyr named Saint Torpes of Pisa. Torpes was supposedly executed on the orders of the Roman Emperor Nero. Having been beheaded, his head was tossed into the river Arno, and his body placed in a boat along with a cock and a dog who were to eat the body. The boat came ashore at the present-day location of Saint-Tropez, with the body untouched by the cock and the dog. The local people named their village in honor of Saint Torpes.

33. Half: Prefix : DEMI-

Ever wonder what the difference is between the prefixes “hemi-”, “demi-” and “semi-”, all of which mean “half”? Well, the general observation is that words using the “demi-” prefix date back to the days of Norman influence over the English language. As a result, “demi-” turns up in the world of period costume and coats of arms. Words using “hemi-” tend to have Greek roots, and are prevalent in the world of the sciences and the medical field. Words with “semi-” tend to have Latin roots, and are most often found in music and the arts, and mathematics.

37. Small bone, as in the ear : OSSICLE

The middle ear is the portion of the ear immediately behind the eardrum. The middle ear contains three small bones called the ossicles, the three smallest bones in the human body. The ossicles’ job is to transmit sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. The shape of the bones gives rise to their names: the hammer (malleus), anvil (incus) and stirrup (stapes).

38. Quai D’Orsay setting : THE SEINE

I think that there’s a bit of a typo here, as “Quai d’Orsay” is written with a lowercase “d”.

41. Beings on TV’s “Doctor Who” : TIME LORDS

The Time Lords are an alien race on the BBC sci-fi show “Doctor Who”. The title character, known as “the Doctor”, is in fact a Time Lord.

42. West Coast beer brand, informally : OLY

The Olympia Brewing Company was founded in the town of Tumwater, Washington in 1896, by a German immigrant. Olympia (familiarly “Oly”) was acquired by Pabst in 1983.

51. Ottoman title : AGHA

“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.

54. More sharply dressed : NATTIER

A natty dresser is one who dresses smartly. The term “natty” may come from the Middle English “net” meaning “fine, elegant”, in which case it shares its etymology with the word “neat”.

55. Container for amontillado : CASK

Amontillado is a variety of sherry produced in the Montilla region of Spain. The name “Amontillado” is sometimes used today as a generic name for any sherry that has a color between a fino (the palest and driest sherry) and an oloroso (darker and sweeter).

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that was first published in 1846. The story tells of a vengeful man who lures his enemy into the catacombs, locks him in chains and then traps him in a niche by sealing it with a brick wall. Nice man …

56. Easternmost of the Lesser Antilles : BARBADOS

Now that Barbados is an independent country, by all measures it is a very developed country. Using the Human Development Index (HDI), Barbados is the third most developed country in the western hemisphere, coming up right behind the US and Canada.

60. French city where D’Artagnan lived in “The Three Musketeers” : TARBES

Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, although the hero of the novel is the trio’s young protégé D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, the three “musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for prowess with their swords.

61. MSN, for one : ISP

The Microsoft Network (MSN) used to be an Internet service provider (ISP). These days, MSN is mainly a web portal.

63. Site for an A.C.L. tear : KNEE

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments that support the knee.

72. Peace Nobelist Yousafzai : MALALA

“I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” is a memoir co-written by Malala Yousafzai and British journalist Christina Lamb. The title tells the essence of her Malala’s story. She started a blog when she was 11 or 12, outlining her life in northwest Pakistan under occupation by the Taliban. As the Pakistani military regained control of the area, Malala’s story was told in a documentary and she was frequently giving interviews. One day a gunman came looking for her, and found her on a school bus. He shot Malala three times, with one bullet going into her forehead. She survived, and was taken to England to recuperate. She was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17, making her the youngest ever Nobel laureate.

73. ID card fig. : SSN

Social Security number (SSN)

76. Florida’s Miami-___ County : DADE

The residents of Florida’s Dade County voted to change its name to Miami-Dade County in 1997, in recognition of its most populous and recognized city.

77. Lightsaber wielder : JEDI

The famous lightsaber weapons in the “Star Wars” series of films were updated for the seventh episode “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. The newer lightsabers have energy crossguards just above the grip.

83. Diplomatic agreement : ENTENTE

An entente cordiale (sometimes just “entente”) is a friendly understanding, usually between two nations. The term, which translates from French as “cordial agreement”, was first used to describe a set of agreements between the UK and France that were put in place 1904.

85. Record label for Whitney Houston : ARISTA

Arista Records was set up as part of Columbia Pictures by one Clive Davis. He chose “Arista” as it was the name of the New York City Honor Society to which Davis belonged.

86. One of the friends on “Friends” : RACHEL

Jennifer Aniston won a 2002 Emmy for playing Rachel on the great sitcom “Friends”. Jennifer’s parents are both actors, and her godfather was the actor Telly Savalas.

90. What one might seek after a computer crash, informally : IT HELP

Information technology (IT)

91. Opera with the aria “Ave Maria” : OTELLO

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” was first performed in 1887 at La Scala Theater in Milan. The opera is based on Shakespeare’s play “Othello” and is considered by many to be Verdi’s greatest work.

92. Skim : NONFAT

The fatty component of milk is known as butterfat (sometimes “milkfat”). To be labeled whole milk, the butterfat content must be at least 3.25%. Low-fat milk is defined as milk containing 0.5-2% fat, with levels of 1% and 2% commonly found on grocery store shelves. Skim milk must contain less than 0.5% fat, and typically contains 0.1%.

94. Vice president Agnew : SPIRO

Spiro Agnew served as Vice-President under Richard Nixon, before becoming the only VP in American history to resign because of criminal charges (there was a bribery scandal). Agnew was also the first Greek-American to serve as US Vice President as he was the son of a Greek immigrant who had shortened the family name from Anagnostopoulos.

97. Stone that’s a star : EMMA

The actress Emma Stone is from Scottsdale, Arizona. Stone really came to prominence with her performance in the 2010 high school movie called “Easy A”. She won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 2016 movie “La La Land”. Now one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood, Stone values her privacy and works hard to maintain a low profile. Good for her, I say …

99. Till section : ONES

The till or cash register is where to put the ones, fives, tens and twenties.

104. Tony winner Hagen : UTA

Uta Hagen was a German-born American actress. Hagen married Jose Ferrer in 1938, but they were divorced ten years later after it was revealed that she was having a long-running affair with Paul Robeson. Her association with Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, earned her a spot on the Hollywood Blacklist during the McCarthy Era. This forced her away from film, but towards a successful stage career in New York City.

105. Dallas hoopster, briefly : MAV

The Mavericks are the NBA franchise in Dallas, Texas. The team was founded in 1980, and the Mavericks name was chosen by fan votes. The choice of “Mavericks” was prompted by the fact that the actor James Garner was a part-owner of the team, and Garner of course played the title role in the “Maverick” television series.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1. Iams competitor : ALPO
5. Pretend : ACT AS IF
12. Song sung by Garth Brooks on Jay Leno’s last “Tonight Show” : THE DANCE
20. Podcast host Maron : MARC
21. Fred Flintstone’s boss : MR SLATE
22. Weathers, as a hurricane : RIDES OUT
23. “That’s me you’re looking for” : I’M IT
24. Compliment to a lawmaker? : OUTSTANDING BILLS
26. Lesley who played Mrs. Patmore on “Downton Abbey” : NICOL
28. ___ the sly (be secretive about) : DO ON
29. Drug used to combat A.D.H.D. : ADDERALL
30. Short writing assignment, informally : ONE-PAGER
32. Really like : ADORE
35. Really like : DIG
36. Compliment to a composer? : RADICAL MOVEMENT
39. ___ voce : SOTTO
43. Deep, deep hole : ABYSS
44. Crème de ___ : MENTHE
46. Lucky strike? : OIL
47. Toe, to a tot : PIGGY
50. John, Paul or George, but not Ringo : SAINT
52. Alternative to first-class : ECONOMY
55. Lake vessel : CANOE
56. Water cooler? : BRIG
58. Cornbread variety named for where it’s baked : ASHCAKE
59. Film role for the dog Skippy : ASTA
60. Meditative discipline : TAI CHI
62. Compliment to a lecturer? : SWEET TALK
64. Compliment to a taxonomist? : STELLAR CLASSIFICATION
67. Compliment to a champion speller? : KILLER BEE
68. Smallville : PODUNK
69. 2002 Literature Nobelist Kertész : IMRE
70. Snack with a rock climber on its wrapper : CLIF BAR
71. Head of communications? : TELE-
72. Gettysburg general : MEADE
73. Like many holiday candles : SCENTED
74. Gal of “Wonder Woman” : GADOT
77. Banned game projectiles : JARTS
78. [not my mistake] : SIC
79. “Why, you little …” : SON OF A …
81. Word with prayer or paddle : … WHEEL
84. Claim in e-cigarette ads : NO TAR
87. Compliment to a charity organizer? : SOLID FOUNDATION
93. Dorm V.I.P.s : RAS
95. Major exporter of uranium : NIGER
96. Hand-to-hand combat weapon : STILETTO
97. Long lines? : EPIC POEM
100. Athlete honored on Richmond’s Monument Avenue : ASHE
102. Drained of color : ASHEN
103. Compliment to a vegetable gardener? : SMASHING PUMPKINS
107. What the “s” stands for in “scuba” : SELF-
108. Enhanced medium for talk radio : AM STEREO
109. Draw upon : TAP INTO
110. “___ Enchanted” (2004 film) : ELLA
111. Result of a computer crash : DATA LOSS
112. Got back at : AVENGED
113. Difficult situation : SPOT

Down

1. Key of Mozart’s “Odense” Symphony : A MINOR
2. Thin layer : LAMINA
3. ___ to sell : PRICED
4. Color-changing creatures : OCTOPI
5. “Yo te ___” (Spanish 101 phrase) : AMO
6. How boors behave : CRUDELY
7. Some inclement weather, in broadcast shorthand : T-STORMS
8. “Oh, by the way …” : ALSO …
9. GPS system, e.g. : SAT NAV
10. Suffix with señor : -ITA
11. Bog : FEN
12. Weapon resembling the letter psi : TRIDENT
13. Posterior : HIND
14. Beat after a buzzer beater : EDGED
15. Rubbish : DEBRIS
16. Alternative to Parmesan : ASIAGO
17. Chuck ___, four-time Super Bowl-winning coach : NOLL
18. Pick out : CULL
19. Uranians and Neptunians : ETS
25. Lack the courage to, for short : DAREN’T
27. Musical set in St.-Tropez, familiarly : LA CAGE
31. Actress Hoffmann of “Transparent” : GABY
33. Half: Prefix : DEMI-
34. What dark clouds might represent : OMEN
37. Small bone, as in the ear : OSSICLE
38. Quai D’Orsay setting : THE SEINE
40. Prepared to shoot : TOOK AIM AT
41. Beings on TV’s “Doctor Who” : TIME LORDS
42. West Coast beer brand, informally : OLY
45. Modern payment option : E-CHECK
47. Musical medley : PASTICCIO
48. Wits : INTELLECT
49. Not hold back, to a poker player : GO ALL IN
51. Ottoman title : AGHA
53. Twice tetra- : OCTA-
54. More sharply dressed : NATTIER
55. Container for amontillado : CASK
56. Easternmost of the Lesser Antilles : BARBADOS
57. Kitchen device : RICER
58. Meriting only half a star, say : AWFUL
60. French city where D’Artagnan lived in “The Three Musketeers” : TARBES
61. MSN, for one : ISP
62. B on an LP : SIDE TWO
63. Site for an A.C.L. tear : KNEE
65. Took off : LEFT
66. Words said before bed? : SO TO …
72. Peace Nobelist Yousafzai : MALALA
73. ID card fig. : SSN
74. Lose rigidity : GO LIMP
75. Not worth ___ : A FIG
76. Florida’s Miami-___ County : DADE
77. Lightsaber wielder : JEDI
80. Worlds external to the mind : NONEGOS
82. Activity in libraries and movie theaters : HUSHING
83. Diplomatic agreement : ENTENTE
85. Record label for Whitney Houston : ARISTA
86. One of the friends on “Friends” : RACHEL
88. Milkshake, in New England : FRAPPE
89. Author Gerritsen and actress Harper : TESSES
90. What one might seek after a computer crash, informally : IT HELP
91. Opera with the aria “Ave Maria” : OTELLO
92. Skim : NONFAT
94. Vice president Agnew : SPIRO
97. Stone that’s a star : EMMA
98. It may be checkered : PAST
99. Till section : ONES
101. Scrape : SKIN
103. Crestfallen : SAD
104. Tony winner Hagen : UTA
105. Dallas hoopster, briefly : MAV
106. Roll on a golf course : SOD

9 thoughts on “0715-18 NY Times Crossword Answers 15 Jul 2018, Sunday”

  1. 3 hrs to complete only to find 11 wrong letters or 22 mistakes per Bill.I know you wonder boys find this easy but IMHO us average folks don’t care for puzzles that reek of egotism from two collaborators

  2. 53:11 and DNF. 14 errors or left unfilled. Just couldn’t figure out enough of the stupid puns.

  3. 46:47, no errors. Extremely vague clueing required a significant amount of head scratching (on my part, anyway); and slow/deliberate solve. Fortunately, it is a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. Perfect day to just sit, relax and have a second cup of coffee, while working through this grid. Several mis-guesses didn’t help: REAR before HIND; ROMANO before ASIAGO; Chuck KNOX before NOLL; A SOU before A FIG; etc.

  4. 4 innings of Giants/As game and no errors. Fun theme. I always enjoy the puns.

  5. Regarding yesterday’s puzzle and our resident Eeyore’s comments: Hip Hop is an extremely varied genre that includes a lot of very socially conscious music seeking to bring people together in a spirit of love and harmony. I hope someday you break out of your little bubble and expand your mind and spirit. You might find your constant negativity will abate and you might even be able to solve some of the “unfair” NYT puzzles you complain about.

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