Constructed by: Patrick Merrell
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: “M*A*S*H” “Up”
Themed clues are movie titles. Themed answers are also movie titles, which have been mashed up, combined:
- 23A. “Anchorman” = ? (1976) + ? (1980) : “NETWORK” “FAME”
- 28A. “Rear Window” = ? (2004) + ? (2014) : “SAW” “NEIGHBORS”
- 44A. “Silence of the Lambs” = ? (1946) + ? (1960) : “NOTORIOUS” “PSYCHO”
- 68A. “Transformers” = ? (2000) + ? (1992) : “TRAFFIC” “TOYS”
- 77A. “Jurassic Park” = ? (1997) + ? (1975) : “TITANIC” “JAWS”
- 98A. “Twister” = ? (2004) + ? (2013) : “SIDEWAYS” “GRAVITY”
- 115A. “Dumb and Dumber” = ? (2007) + ? (1979) : “SUPERBAD” “HAIR”
- 125A. “The Poseidon Adventure” = ? (1956) + ? (1984) : “GIANT” “SPLASH”
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
Want to discuss the puzzle? Then …
… leave a comment
Bill’s time: 20m 17s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. Festival of Colors celebrant : HINDU
Holi is a Hindu festival celebrated in spring that is also known as the Festival of Colours.
6. Mission to remember : ALAMO
The famous Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission was founded in 1718 and was the first mission established in the city. The Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836, a thirteen-day siege by the Mexican Army led by President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Only two people defending the Alamo Mission survived the onslaught. One month later, the Texian army got its revenge by attacking and defeating the Mexican Army in the Battle of San Jacinto. During the surprise attack on Santa Anna’s camp, many of the Texian soldiers were heard to cry “Remember the Alamo!”.
20. Canon competitor : NIKON
The Japanese company Nikon was founded in 1917 with the merger of three manufacturers of various optical devices. After the merger, Nikon’s main output was lenses (including the first lenses for Canon cameras, before Canon made its own). During the war, Nikon sales grew rapidly as the company focused on (pun!) equipment for the military including periscopes and bomb sights.
21. Former QB Tony : ROMO
Tony Romo is a former quarterback who spent his entire NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. Romo is also an avid amateur golfer and has even tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to qualify for the US Open golf championship.
22. Treat embossed with its name : OREO
If you take a close look at the embossed design on the front and back of an Oreo cookie, you’ll spot the main elements of the Nabisco logo. Those elements are an oval with a cross on top, a cross with two bars. Usually the company name “Nabisco” is inside the oval, but for the cookie it’s the brand name “Oreo”. The current embossed design was introduced 1952.
23. “Anchorman” = ? (1976) + ? (1980) : “NETWORK” “FAME”
The movie “Network” was released in 1976. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and stars Peter Finch in his final role, for which he won a posthumous Academy Award. That Oscar for Peter Finch was remarkable in that it was the first time the Best Actor award had been won after the actor passed away, and it was also the first time it had been won by an Australian.
“Fame” is a 1980 musical film that follows students at New York’s High School of Performing Arts. Irene Cara sings the hugely successful theme song “Fame”, and stars as one of the students. Cara had in fact attended the High School of Performing Arts in real life. The movie “Fame” was so successful that it led to a spinoff TV series, stage shows and a 2009 remake.
The title character in the “Anchorman” series of films is Ron Burgundy. Burgundy is a news anchor played by comedian Will Ferrell. Apparently Burgundy loves a glass of scotch, poetry, and his dog Baxter.
25. An “A” in history? : 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.
27. The forest, as opposed to the trees : GESTALT
Gestalt is a German word meaning “shape”. The principles of gestaltism were developed in Germany in the early 1900s. One of the main tenets is that “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”.
28. “Rear Window” = ? (2004) + ? (2014) : “SAW” “NEIGHBORS”
The “Saw” franchise of movies is gruesome in the extreme. I’ve only seen a few minutes of “Saw” footage (accidentally). The storylines center on imprisoned victims who are faced with having to mutilate themselves in order to escape. Ugh …
“Neighbors” is a 2014 comedy film starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as a young couple with a newborn child. Zac Efron and Dave Franco play the leaders of a fraternity that moves into the house next door. I am told that hilarity ensues …
“Rear Window” is a fabulous 1954 Hitchcock movie that is based on a short story called “It Had to Be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich. Stars in the film are James Stewart, Grace Kelly, with Raymond Burr playing the “bad guy”. Great, great movie …
33. E.-W. line : LAT
Lines of latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines surrounding the planet. The most “important” lines of latitude are, from north to south:
- Arctic Circle
- Tropic of Cancer
- Equator
- Tropic of Capricorn
- Antarctic Circle
35. Like three men of rhyme : IN A TUB
The nursery rhyme “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” dates back to at least 1798 when it was first published in London:
Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And how do you think they got there?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker,
They all jumped out of a rotten potato,
‘Twas enough to make a man stare.
39. Big Ten sch. whose mascot is an anthropomorphic nut : OSU
Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus was founded back in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The athletic teams of OSU are called the Buckeyes, named after the state tree of Ohio. In turn the buckeye tree gets its name from the appearance of its fruit, a dark nut with a light patch thought to resemble a “buck’s eye”.
44. “Silence of the Lambs” = ? (1946) + ? (1960) : “NOTORIOUS” “PSYCHO”
“Notorious” is an interesting Hitchcock film made in 1946 starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. I find it interesting as it is such a different dramatic role for Cary Grant, and a more gritty role for the lovely Ingrid Bergman, and the great Claude Rains is in there for good measure. It’s a story of espionage, love and intrigue set in Rio de Janeiro where there is a group of German Nazis hiding out after WWII. Definitely worth a rental if you’ve never seen it …
The classic Alfred Hitchcock suspense film “Psycho” released in 1960 is based on a 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. The Bloch novel in turn is loosely based on actual crimes committed by murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. The female protagonist is named Mary Crane in the novel, but that name was changed to Marion Crane in the movie. Marion Crane, portrayed by Janet Leigh, died in a celebrated and terrifying shower scene
“The Silence of the Lambs” is a 1991 psychological drama based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. Jodie Foster plays FBI trainee Clarice Starling, and Anthony Hopkins plays the creepy cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. “The Silence of the Lambs” swept the Big Five Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay) for that year, being only the third movie ever to do so. The other two so honored were “It Happened One Night” (1934) and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975).
47. Rockettes motions : KICKS
The famous Rockettes can be seen in Radio City Music Hall. They have an amazing schedule during the Christmas season when they perform five high-kicking shows every day, seven days a week. The troupe has been doing this every Christmas for 77 years.
52. One-named singer with #1 hits in 1965 and 1999 : CHER
“Cher” is the stage name used by Cherilyn Sarkisian. Formerly one half of husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop. In her acting career, Cher was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar of 1984 for her performance in “Silkwood”. She went further in 1988 and won the Best Actress Oscar for playing Loretta Castorini in “Moonstruck”.
53. Bikini blast, briefly : N-TEST
The testing of US nuclear weapons by the US at Bikini Atoll in the middle of 1946 went by the codename “Operation Crossroads”. The tests used A-bombs and were designed to measure the effect of blasts on navy vessels. There were three tests planned, but the third had to be cancelled as the Navy couldn’t decontaminate the ships used in the second test.
56. Smith of Fox News : SHEP
Shep Smith is a television journalist and host with Fox News. Smith has been hosting “Shepard Smith Reporting” on Fox since 2013.
57. Top dogs : HONCHOS
“Honcho” is a slang term used for a leader. The word comes to us from Japanese, in which language a “hancho” is a squad (han) leader (cho).
60. Brewing need : YEAST
Yeasts are unicellular microorganisms in the Fungi kingdom. The species of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used for centuries in the making of wine and beer, and in breadmaking. Saccharomyces cerevisiae converts carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohol in the process of fermentation. When making beer and wine, the carbon dioxide and alcohol may be captured by the liquid. When making bread, the carbon dioxide and alcohol is driven off by heat.
63. Split base? : BANANA
The banana split was created in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904. This particular sundae was the idea of David Stickler, a young apprentice pharmacist at the Tassel Pharmacy’s soda fountain.
68. “Transformers” = ? (2000) + ? (1992) : “TRAFFIC” “TOYS”
The 2000 film “Traffic” explores the illegal drug trade. The movie is adapted from a 1989 British TV miniseries called “Traffik”. There was a lso 2004 American TV miniseries produced called “Traffic”, which was based on both the prior TV show and the movie.
The 2007 blockbuster hit movie “Transformers” was inspired by a line of toys. Toy transformers can be morphed from their mundane looking appearance as a vehicle or perhaps an animal, into a robotic action figure. Not a movie I will be renting though …
“Toys” is a 1992 film starring Robin Williams. I found this one pretty forgettable, except for the fact that it was the debut film for Jamie Foxx.
70. Dept. of Justice heads : AGS
Attorneys General (AGs) head up the Department of Justice (DOJ). When the office of the Attorney General was created in 1789 it was a part-time job, with no departmental support. The Department of Justice came into being in 1870.
76. Uncle with a top hat and tie : SAM
The Uncle Sam personification of the United States was first used during the War of 1812. The “Uncle Sam” term was so widely accepted that even the Germans used it during WWII, choosing the code word “Samland” for “America” in intelligence communiques.
77. “Jurassic Park” = ? (1997) + ? (1975) : “TITANIC” “JAWS”
When James Cameron made his epic movie “Titanic”, released in 1997, it was the most expensive film ever made and cost about $200 million. It was a good investment for the studio as it became the highest-grossing film of all time, bringing in over $1.8 billion. “Titanic” remained the highest-grossing film until 2010, when Cameron eclipsed the prior record with “Avatar”.
“Jaws” is a thrilling 1975 movie directed by Steven Spielberg that is based on a novel of the same name by Peter Benchley. The film has a powerful cast, led by Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. “Jaws” was perhaps the first “summer blockbuster” with the highest box office take in history, a record that stood until “Star Wars” was released two years later.
“Jurassic Park” is a 1990 novel by Michael Crichton that was adapted into a hugely successful movie by Steven Spielberg in 1993. One of the main premises of the novel is that dinosaur DNA could be harvested from mosquitoes trapped in amber (fossilized tree resin), the DNA coming from the dinosaur blood consumed by the mosquitoes. The dinosaur DNA is then sequenced and used to create clones of the original beasts. Apparently, that’s a clever idea, but not very practical …
80. James who played TV’s Marshal Dillon : ARNESS
James Arness played the role of Matt Dillon, Marshal of Dodge City, on “Gunsmoke” for twenty years. If you count the occasions when he reprised the role for specials, he actually performed as Matt Dillon over five decades. Did you know that Peter Graves, the actor who played Jim Phelps on “Mission: Impossible”, his real name was Peter Arness? He and James were brothers.
82. Third place : BRONZE
In the Ancient Olympic Games, the winner of an event was awarded an olive wreath. When the games were revived in 1896, the winners were originally given a silver medal and an olive branch, with runners-up receiving a bronze medal and a laurel branch. The tradition of giving gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.
83. City across the Missouri from Council Bluffs : OMAHA
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska. It is located on the Missouri River, about 10 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River When Nebraska was still a territory Omaha was its capital, but when Nebraska achieved statehood the capital was moved to the city of Lincoln.
The Native American people known as the Otoe and the Missouri were the first tribes encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The meeting took place in 1804 at a point on the Missouri River that is now known as Council Bluffs.
85. Quarantine : ISOLATE
The original use of our word “quarantine”, back in the 1500s, was as a legal term. A quarantine was the 40 days in which a widow had the legal right to reside in her dead husband’s house.
89. Scads : A LOT
The origin of the word “scads”, meaning “lots and lots”, is unclear. That said, “scads” was used to mean “dollars” back in the mid-1800s.
90. California’s Big ___ : SUR
Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.
92. Maker of the golden calf, in Exodus : AARON
According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, Aaron made a golden calf as an idol for the Israelites to worship while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. When Moses returned, he became angry on seeing the calf and destroyed it.
95. Shakespeare’s stream : AVON
William Shakespeare is referred to as the Bard of Avon as he was born and raised in the lovely town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the English midlands.
98. “Twister” = ? (2004) + ? (2013) : “SIDEWAYS” “GRAVITY”
“Sideways” is a marvelous 2004 film that is an adaptation of a 2004 novel of the same name. In fact, “Sideways” is the first in a trilogy of comedic wine-themed novels by Rex Pickett, and was followed by “Vertical” (2010) and “Sideways 3 Chile” (2015). The “Sideways” movie stars Paul Giamatti as a depressed teacher and writer accompanying his friend on trip through wine country prior to that friend’s upcoming wedding. Great stuff …
103. Cracker Jack ingredient : PEANUT
Cracker Jack snack food was introduced to the public at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. It didn’t get the name “Cracker Jack” until a few years later when someone declared to the producers that the candied snack was “crackerjack!”. Prizes were introduced into each box starting in 1912. The list of toy surprises included rings, plastic figurines, temporary tattoos and decoder rings.
106. Frederick Forsyth’s “The ___ File” : ODESSA
“The Odessa File” is a 1972 novel by English author Frederick Forsyth. The novel is a real thriller, set in the sixties, involving the hunt for a former SS concentration camp commander. There is a 1974 movie adaption that has the same title, starring Jon Voight and Maximilian Schell.
107. Kind of code : POSTAL
ZIP codes were introduced in 1963. The acronym “ZIP” stands for “Zone Improvement Plan”, a name indicating that mail travels more efficiently when the codes are included in the postal address.
113. “Sexy” Beatles woman : SADIE
“Sexy Sadie” is a song written by John Lennon and released by the Beatles in 1968. Lennon wrote the song in India, and its original title was “Maharishi”.
115. “Dumb and Dumber” = ? (2007) + ? (1979) : “SUPERBAD” “HAIR”
“Superbad” is a comedy movie released in 2007. The script for the film was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Rogen and Goldberg started work on the script when they were just thirteen years old, with the first draft being completed by the time they were fifteen.
The full name of the famed show from the sixties is “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical”, although the 1979 film adaptation was simply titled “Hair”. This controversial work outraged many when it was first performed in the sixties, as it attacked many aspects of life at the time. For example, the song “Air” is a satirical look at pollution, sung by a character who comes onto the stage wearing a gas mask. The opening lines are “Welcome, sulfur dioxide. Hello carbon monoxide. The air … is everywhere”. How things have changed in fifty years said he … satirically …
“Dumb and Dumber” is a 1994 comedy starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as two pretty dumb guys, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. There was a prequel released in 2003 titled “Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd”, and a sequel in 2011 called “Dumb and Dumber To”.
125. “The Poseidon Adventure” = ? (1956) + ? (1984) : “GIANT” “SPLASH”
“Giant” is a 1952 novel by author Edna Ferber. It was adapted into a successful Hollywood movie released in 1956. In the film, Bick Benedict (played by Rock Hudson) marries Leslie (played by Elizabeth Taylor) and takes his new wife home to the family ranch in Texas called Reata. The ranch’s handyman is Jett Rink, played by James Dean. Dean was killed in a car accident before the film was released. Some of Dean’s lines needed work before the film could be released and so another actor had to do that voice-over work.
“Splash” is a 1984 comedy movie directed by Ron Howard, and starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Hanks plays a guy who falls for a mysterious woman (Hannah), who turns out to be a mermaid. One thing notable about “Splash” is that it was the first film to be released under Walt Disney’s “Touchstone Pictures” label.
128. Sylvester’s speech feature : LISP
Sylvester J. Pussycat is also known as Puddy Tat, and is a character who appeared in “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” cartoons. Sylvester is the cat who is often trying to get the better of Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzales and Hippety Hopper. Sylvester’s trademark line is the exclamation “Sufferin’ succotash!”, which emphasizes the characters pronounced lisp.
129. Villagers victimized by the Grinch : WHOS
The Whos live in Whoville in Dr. Seuss’ children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”
130. Florida tourist attraction : EPCOT
EPCOT Center (now just called “Epcot”) is the theme park beside Walt Disney World in Florida. EPCOT is an acronym standing for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and is a representation of the future as envisioned by Walt Disney. Walt Disney actually wanted to build a living community for 20,000 residents at EPCOT, but he passed away without that vision being realized.
131. Dad who says “D’oh!” : HOMER
“The Simpsons” is one of the most successful programs produced by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Homer Simpson’s catchphrase is “D’oh!”, which became such a famous exclamation that it has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) since 2001. “D’oh!” can be translated as “I should have thought of that!”
133. Dupes : SAPS
“Sap” is slang for “fool, someone easily scammed”. The term arose in the early 1800s in Britain when it was used in “saphead” and “sapskull”. All these words derive from “sapwood”, which is the softwood found in tree trunks between the bark and the heartwood at the center.
Down
3. Fa or la : NOTE
The solfa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti.
4. Mountain ___ (some sodas) : DEWS
If you check the can, you’ll see that “Mountain Dew” is now marketed as “Mtn Dew”.
5. Uniform entertainment? : USO TOUR
The United Service Organization (USO) was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt “to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces”. A USO tour is undertaken by a troupe of entertainers, many of whom are big-name celebrities. A USO tour usually includes troop locations in combat zones.
6. Target for an angry Chihuahua : ANKLE
Chihuahua is a state in northern Mexico that shares a border with Texas and New Mexico. Chihuahua is the largest state in the country, so has the nickname “El Estado Grande”. The state takes its name from the Chihuahuan Desert which lies largely within its borders. The Chihuahua breed of dog takes its name from the state.
9. Choosy ones, in Jif ads : MOMS
Jif is the leading brand of peanut butter in the US, and has been since 1981. Introduced in 1958, it is now produced by Smuckers.
10. N.B.A. great with size 22 shoes : O’NEAL
Retired basketball player Shaquille O’Neal now appears regularly as an analyst on the NBA TV show “Inside the NBA”. Shaq has quite a career in the entertainment world. His first rap album, called “Shaq Diesel”, went platinum. He also starred in two of his own reality show: “Shaq’s Big Challenge” and “Shaq Vs.”
17. Silents star whose name is an anagram of 112-Down : NEGRI
(112D. Niamey’s land : NIGER)
Pola Negri was a Polish actress, and the first star to be invited from Europe to develop a career in Hollywood. Most of her success came in the silent era, but she was able to make the transition to the talkies. Her off-screen life attracted the attention of the gossip columnists who rejoiced in her affairs with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.
29. Apt radio call letters for a beach town : WAVY
As a general rule (there are a few exceptions), radio call signs in the US start with the letter K west of the Mississippi River, and with the letter W to the east.
36. Lower Manhattan area : NOHO
NoHo is short for North of Houston (street), and is the equivalent area to SoHo, South of Houston, both of which are in New York City.
40. “___-daisy!” : UPSY
Upsy-daisy” is an interjection sometimes used when lifting up a child. It’s “baby talk”, words of reassurance.
46. Editorial override : STET
“Stet” is a Latin word meaning “let it stand”. In editorial work, the typesetter is instructed to disregard any change previously marked by writing the word “stet” and then underscoring that change with a line of dots or dashes.
50. Mount ___, second-highest peak in Africa : KENYA
Kenya lies on the east coast of Africa, right on the equator. The country takes her name from Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak on the continent (after Kilimanjaro). The official languages of Kenya are English and Swahili.
55. Birds with long, curved beaks : IBISES
The ibis is a wading bird that was revered in ancient Egypt. “Ibis” is an interesting word grammatically speaking. You can have one “ibis” or two “ibises”, and then again one has a flock of “ibis”. And if you want to go with the classical plural, instead of two “ibises” you would have two “ibides”!
58. Pittsburgh-based food company : HEINZ
The HJ Heinz Company is an American concern that is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1869 by Henry John Heinz. It was Heinz himself who came up with the marketing slogan of “57 Varieties”. The “57” really doesn’t have any relevance to the range of products available as Heinz chose the “5” because it was his lucky number, and the “7” because it was his wife’s lucky number.
67. Jack of old westerns : ELAM
Jack Elam was a movie actor noted for playing the bad guy in Westerns. When Elam was a Boy Scout, he was accidentally stabbed in the eye with a pencil. The incident left him blind in that eye, and the iris remained skewed to the outside of his face. This gave him a crazed, wide-eyed look that helped add a sense of menace to the characters Elam played.
72. Brownstone hangout : STOOP
A stoop is a raised platform at the door of a house. “Stoop” came into American and Canadian English in the mid-1700s from the Dutch “stoep” meaning “flight of steps”.
74. Dallas-based carrier: Abbr. : SWA
Southwest Airlines is the world’s largest low-cost passenger airline. I’ve always admired the Southwest operation and found that the company knows to keep costs under control while maintaining a high level of customer service. One strategy the company used for decades was only to operate Boeing 737 aircraft, which kept maintenance and operating costs to a minimum.
78. Stud fee? : ANTE
Stud poker is the name given to many variants of poker, all of which are characterized by the dealer giving each player a mix of cards face-down and face-up. The cards facing upwards are called “upcards”. The cards facing downwards are called “hole cards”, cards only visible to the individual who holds that particular hand. This gives rise to the phrase “ace in the hole”, a valuable holding that only the player with the ace is aware of.
79. Who wrote “All great truths begin as blasphemies” : SHAW
George Bernard Shaw (GBS) was a very successful Irish playwright. Shaw is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize for Literature, and an Oscar. He won his Oscar for adapting his own play “Pygmalion” for the 1938 film of the same name starring Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller. Most people are more likely to have seen the musical adaptation of “Pygmalion” that goes by the title “My Fair Lady”.
86. Sister company of Budget : AVIS
Rental car company Avis used the tagline “We Try Harder” for five decades, starting in the early 1960s. The slogan had its roots in a 1962 ad campaign in which the company made brilliant use of its position behind market leader Hertz. The first rendition of the new tagline was “When you’re only No. 2, you try harder. Or else”. Within a year, Avis turned its first profit in over a decade, and within three years, increased the company’s market share from 29% to 36%.
88. One-named Irish singer : ENYA
Enya’s real name is Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, which can translate from Irish into Enya Brennan. Her Donegal family (in the northwest of Ireland) formed a band called Clannad, which included Enya. In 1980 Enya launched her very successful solo career, eventually becoming Ireland’s best-selling solo musician. And, she sure does turn up a lot in crosswords!
91. 1980 Olympics boycotter : USA
The USA led a group of 65 countries in boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympic Games held in Moscow. The boycott was at the insistence of President Jimmy Carter, a response to the Soviet War in Afghanistan. The Soviet Union eventually retaliated, by leading a group of nations in boycotting the next Summer Olympics, held in 1984 in Los Angeles.
100. Sicily’s Mount ___ : ETNA
Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcano in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts.
102. Long Island university : ADELPHI
Adelphi University is located in Garden City, New York on Long Island. The university started out as Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn in 1863. By 1929, the academy had moved to Garden City and was a woman’s college. Adelphi reverted to co-education after WWII when it admitted many students under the GI Bill.
107. Writing attributed to King David : PSALM
The Greek word “psalmoi” originally meant “songs sung to a harp”, and gave us the word “psalms”. In the Jewish and Western Christian traditions, the Book of Psalms contains 150 individual psalms, divided into five sections.
108. Protruding part of the body : OUTIE
The navel is basically a scar left behind when the umbilical cord is removed from a newborn baby. One interesting use of the umbilicus (navel, belly button) is to differentiate between identical twins, especially when they are very young.
112. Niamey’s land : 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.
116. Ottoman title : AGHA
“Aga” (also “agha”) is a title that was used by both civil and military officials in the Ottoman Empire.
121. “Roll Tide!” school : BAMA
The athletic teams of the University of Alabama (“Bama”) are nicknamed the Crimson Tide, which is a reference to the team colors of crimson and white.
122. River flooded in W.W. I to thwart the Germans : YSER
The Yser is a river that originates in northern France and flows through Belgium into the North Sea. The Yser is often associated with WWI as it figured in a major battle early in the conflict. In the first three months of the war, the German Army pushed almost completely through Belgium, inflicting heavy losses on the Belgian Army as the defenders were forced to fight a fast-moving rearguard action. The Germans were intent on pushing right through Belgium and across France in a “race to the sea”. But the Belgians, with the help of their Allies, decided to make a final stand at the Yser Canal in an effort to prevent the Germans reaching the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk. The 22-mile long defensive line was chosen at the Yser because the river and canal system could be flooded to create a barrier that might be defended. The plan was successful and the front was “stabilized”. As we now know, millions of lives were lost over the coming years with very little movement of that battle line.
126. Signature Obama legislation, for short : ACA
The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).
127. Store door posting: Abbr. : HRS
Hour (hr.)
Read on, or …
… return to top of page
Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Festival of Colors celebrant : HINDU
6. Mission to remember : ALAMO
11. Whip : FLOG
15. “Goldarn it!” : DANG!
19. Orchestra section behind the violas : OBOES
20. Canon competitor : NIKON
21. Former QB Tony : ROMO
22. Treat embossed with its name : OREO
23. “Anchorman” = ? (1976) + ? (1980) : “NETWORK” “FAME”
25. An “A” in history? : ANNO
26. Hankering : URGE
27. The forest, as opposed to the trees : GESTALT
28. “Rear Window” = ? (2004) + ? (2014) : “SAW” “NEIGHBORS”
31. Big, big, big : OBESE
33. E.-W. line : LAT
34. Best in mental competition : OUTWIT
35. Like three men of rhyme : IN A TUB
39. Big Ten sch. whose mascot is an anthropomorphic nut : OSU
41. Foresight : VISION
44. “Silence of the Lambs” = ? (1946) + ? (1960) : “NOTORIOUS” “PSYCHO”
47. Rockettes motions : KICKS
52. One-named singer with #1 hits in 1965 and 1999 : CHER
53. Bikini blast, briefly : N-TEST
54. Yves’s yes : OUI
56. Smith of Fox News : SHEP
57. Top dogs : HONCHOS
60. Brewing need : YEAST
63. Split base? : BANANA
65. Cry of desperation : HELP ME!
68. “Transformers” = ? (2000) + ? (1992) : “TRAFFIC” “TOYS”
70. Dept. of Justice heads : AGS
73. Lofty standards : IDEALS
75. “Me first” sort : EGOIST
76. Uncle with a top hat and tie : SAM
77. “Jurassic Park” = ? (1997) + ? (1975) : “TITANIC” “JAWS”
80. James who played TV’s Marshal Dillon : ARNESS
82. Third place : BRONZE
83. City across the Missouri from Council Bluffs : OMAHA
85. Quarantine : ISOLATE
89. Scads : A LOT
90. California’s Big ___ : SUR
92. Maker of the golden calf, in Exodus : AARON
95. Shakespeare’s stream : AVON
96. Keys in : TYPES
98. “Twister” = ? (2004) + ? (2013) : “SIDEWAYS” “GRAVITY”
103. Cracker Jack ingredient : PEANUT
105. One tick, briefly : SEC
106. Frederick Forsyth’s “The ___ File” : ODESSA
107. Kind of code : POSTAL
111. “Facts First” sloganeer : CNN
113. “Sexy” Beatles woman : SADIE
115. “Dumb and Dumber” = ? (2007) + ? (1979) : “SUPERBAD” “HAIR”
119. Passes, as time : ROLLS BY
123. Bit of physics : ATOM
124. Manlike monster : OGRE
125. “The Poseidon Adventure” = ? (1956) + ? (1984) : “GIANT” “SPLASH”
128. Sylvester’s speech feature : LISP
129. Villagers victimized by the Grinch : WHOS
130. Florida tourist attraction : EPCOT
131. Dad who says “D’oh!” : HOMER
132. Pool event : MEET
133. Dupes : SAPS
134. In position : READY
135. Some beams : I-BARS
Down
1. Sweets : HON
2. “___ to differ” : I BEG
3. Fa or la : NOTE
4. Mountain ___ (some sodas) : DEWS
5. Uniform entertainment? : USO TOUR
6. Target for an angry Chihuahua : ANKLE
7. Removes from a box, say : LIFTS OUT
8. Alias introducer : AKA
9. Choosy ones, in Jif ads : MOMS
10. N.B.A. great with size 22 shoes : O’NEAL
11. Frenzied : FRANTIC
12. Only : LONE
13. All in front? : OMNI-
14. Bit of baby talk : GOO GOO
15. Uncertainty : DOUBT
16. Shower of the way : ARROW
17. Silents star whose name is an anagram of 112-Down : NEGRI
18. Travel, as thou might : GOEST
24. Certain wedding officiant : RABBI
29. Apt radio call letters for a beach town : WAVY
30. Babe magnet : HUNK
32. Caesar’s “to be” : ESSE
35. Creep (along) : INCH
36. Lower Manhattan area : NOHO
37. Rates ___ (is perfect) : A TEN
38. Dangerous juggling prop : TORCH
40. “___-daisy!” : UPSY
42. Set one’s sights on : SHOT FOR
43. Slip in lieu of a chip : IOU
45. Without a contract : ON SPEC
46. Editorial override : STET
48. “… but who ___?” : ISN’T
49. Mayhem : CHAOS
50. Mount ___, second-highest peak in Africa : KENYA
51. Big jerk : SPASM
55. Birds with long, curved beaks : IBISES
58. Pittsburgh-based food company : HEINZ
59. Radio format : OLDIES
61. Equal, in math : ARE
62. Long tale : SAGA
64. “Don’t ___ surprised” : ACT SO
66. Primarily study : MAJOR IN
67. Jack of old westerns : ELAM
69. Alternative to sending to jail : FINING
70. No longer on deck : AT BAT
71. Not tomboyish : GIRLY
72. Brownstone hangout : STOOP
74. Dallas-based carrier: Abbr. : SWA
78. Stud fee? : ANTE
79. Who wrote “All great truths begin as blasphemies” : SHAW
81. Many a worker in ancient Rome : SLAVE
84. Some small batteries : AAAS
86. Sister company of Budget : AVIS
87. Little ones : TOTS
88. One-named Irish singer : ENYA
91. 1980 Olympics boycotter : USA
93. Some Crown Royal offerings : RYES
94. Academy nomination : OSCAR NOD
97. Prep for the ring : SPAR
99. Title for Meghan Markle : DUCHESS
100. Sicily’s Mount ___ : ETNA
101. Churns up : ROILS
102. Long Island university : ADELPHI
104. Jabs, in a way : ELBOWS
107. Writing attributed to King David : PSALM
108. Protruding part of the body : OUTIE
109. Presume, informally : S’POSE
110. Lure : TEMPT
112. Niamey’s land : NIGER
114. Daft : DOTTY
116. Ottoman title : AGHA
117. Tiniest sip : DROP
118. Mature : RIPE
120. Pig : SLOB
121. “Roll Tide!” school : BAMA
122. River flooded in W.W. I to thwart the Germans : YSER
126. Signature Obama legislation, for short : ACA
127. Store door posting: Abbr. : HRS
Leave a comment (below), or …
… return to top of page
11 thoughts on “0722-18 NY Times Crossword 22 Jul 18, Sunday”
Comments are closed.
19:42, no errors. Enjoyable.
MASH can be found by locating any “M” in the puzzle and traveling upwards to find the “ASH” although it may be a skewed line. I haven’t figured out why yet.
32:07, no errors. My usual plodding pace.
38:50 so, EmGee, I was plodding….er. Fun leisurely puzzle and a good theme. The write up is always excellent, but this one was more so than usual. A lot of interesting stuff.
Must admit that Bill has me wanting to see the movie “Rear Window” now. Before this puzzle, I’d never even heard of it.
Best –
You’ve never seen Rear Window??? OMIGOD, rent it or stream it **right now**! And get “Rope” while you’re at it. And “Vertigo”. And “The Birds.” Your movie-watching experience is lacking if you haven’t been exposed to Hitchcock!!!
Jeff, can’t believe you’ve never seen Rear Window. One of my favorites. The camera work is outstanding and a very intriguing plot. A great Hitchcock favorite. This NYT puzzle was one of the easiest I’ve even tried. Thank you!
50 minutes and no errors.
My personal best for a NYT Sunday puzzle
37:33 and 13 unfilled or incorrect, most in the upper right quadrant. Just couldn’t get a good foothold in there. 29D really hooped me good, because I had NAVY there, which made figuring out SAWNEIGHBORS all but impossible.
29:49, 2 errors. Entered IS IT in 48D, without any crossing entries. Didn’t correct BA(I)ANA, after the crossing entries were filled in. Doing the puzzle on paper, I don’t get clued in on typos.
@Bill: your syndicated linked for today (7/29), links to the 0715 puzzle, rather than the 0722 puzzle.
My 2 cents on the movie “Splash”: after growing up in NYC, watching those people jump into the water gave me the willies. I could not imagine anyone swimming in the Hudson or East Rivers.
I see the link syndicated link has been corrected.
While looking up the movie ‘Splash’, to see if the actors had to be decontaminated after swimming in the Hudson River, I found that Tom Hanks was back in the Hudson River in the movie ‘Sully’. The man is a glutton for punishment.
39 minutes, no errors. This is the right way to do a Sunday puzzle, opposed to so many of the other NYT puzzles.