Constructed by: Alan Southworth & Yacob Yonas
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Alter Ego
Themed answers are common phrases that have been reinterpreted with reference to ALTER EGOS of superheroes cited in the clues:
- 9D. Secondary identity … or what can be found in 18-, 27-, 40-, 54- and 66-Across : ALTER EGO
- 18A. Superman’s fist? : DUKE OF KENT
- 27A. Iron Man without any clothes? : STARK NAKED
- 40A. Batman’s water springs? : FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
- 54A. Spider-Man not minding his own business? : NOSY PARKER
- 66A. When the Hulk was born? : BANNER YEAR
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 5m 05s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
10. Hybrid citrus fruits : UGLIS
The ugli fruit is a hybrid of an orange and a tangerine that was first discovered growing wild in Jamaica where most ugli fruit comes from today. “UGLI” is a trademark name that is a variant of “ugly”, a nod to the fruits unsightly wrinkled rind.
16. Ripken with a record 2,632 consecutive games played : CAL
Cal Ripken played his entire, 20-year professional baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken was known as the “Iron Man” because he showed up for work every day, come rain or shine. He played 2,632 straight games, blowing past the previous 2,130-game record held by Lou Gehrig.
18. Superman’s fist? : DUKE OF KENT
Superman’s comic book creators gave their title character’s alter-ego the name “Clark Kent” by melding the names of Clark Gable and Kent Taylor, two leading men of the cinema at the time Superman was created. However, they modeled Clark’s character more on the silent film actor Harold Lloyd.
“Dukes” is a slang term meaning “fists, hands”. The route taken by “dukes” to become fists seems very tortuous, but might just be true. The term “fork” had been slang for “hand” for centuries (and gives rise to “fork out” meaning “hand over”). The slang term “fork” is expressed in Cockney rhyming slang as “Duke of York”, which is shortened to “duke”. As I said, tortuous …
22. Yang’s opposite : YIN
The yin and the yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.
25. Fortuneteller’s deck : TAROT
Tarot cards have been around since the mid-1400s, and for centuries were simply used for entertainment as a game. It has only been since the late 1800s that the cards have been used by fortune tellers to predict the future. The list of tarot cards includes the Wheel of Fortune, the Hanged Man and the Lovers.
27. Iron Man without any clothes? : STARK NAKED
Iron Man is another one of those comic book superheroes, this one created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. The character is the alter ego of Tony Stark, and has become very famous in recent years since the appearance of the 2008 action movie “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role. Iron Man’s love interest, Pepper Potts, is routinely played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the same series of films.
32. U.F.O. pilots : ETS
One might speculate that an unidentified flying object (UFO) is flown by an extraterrestrial (ET).
36. Symbol of saintliness : HALO
The Greek word “halos” is the name given to the ring of light around the sun or moon, which gives us our word “halo” that is used for a radiant light depicted above the head of a saintly person.
40. Batman’s water springs? : FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
Bruce Wayne is the secret identity of Batman in the comic series created by DC Comics. The first name of Bruce was chosen as a homage to the Scottish king and heroic figure, Robert the Bruce. The family name was a nod to “Mad Anthony” Wayne, the US Army general and statesman who rose to prominence in the Revolutionary War.
Fountains of Wayne was a rock band from New York City that was best known for the 2003 hit “Stacy’s Mom”.
47. Placed coins in, as a parking meter : FED
An early patent for a parking meter, dated 1928, was for a device that required the driver of the parked car to connect the battery of his or her car to the meter in order for it to operate!
48. Carolina ___ (state bird) : WREN
A wren is a small songbird belonging to the family troglodytidae and the genus troglodytes. Wrens are known for making dome-shaped nests.
50. Something an apiphobe fears : BEE
An apiary is an area where bees are kept, apiculture is beekeeping, and an apiphobe has a fear of bees. The Latin word for “bee” is “apis”.
51. Faux ___ : PAS
The term “faux pas” is French in origin, and translates literally as “false step” (or “false steps”, as the plural has the same spelling in French).
54. Spider-Man not minding his own business? : NOSY PARKER
Spider-Man is a creation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and first appeared in comics in 1962. Spider-Man was a somewhat groundbreaking character in that his alter ego was a teenage high school student (named Peter Parker), which marked the first time that a young person featured front and center as the superhero.
57. “The Lord is my Shepherd” begins the 23rd one : PSALM
Psalm 23 starts with:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
59. Famed N.Y.C. nightclub, with “the” : COPA
The Copacabana of the 1978 Barry Manilow song is the Copacabana nightclub in New York City (which is also the subject of the Frank Sinatra song “Meet Me at the Copa”). The Copa opened in 1940 and is still going today although it is struggling. The club had to move due to impending construction and is now “sharing” a location with the Columbus 72 nightclub.
His name was Rico
He wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair, he saw Lola dancing there
And when she finished, he called her over
But Rico went a bit to far
Tony sailed across the bar
And then the punches flew and chairs were smashed in two
There was blood and a single gun shot
But just who shot who?
66. When the Hulk was born? : BANNER YEAR
The comic book hero named “the Hulk” first made an appearance in 1962. The Hulk is the alter ego of reserved and withdraw physicist Bruce Banner. Banner mutates into the Hulk when he gets angry.
72. Highly competitive, say : TYPE A
The Type A and Type B personality theory originated in the fifties. Back then, individuals were labelled as Type A in order to emphasize a perceived increased risk of heart disease. Type A personality types are so called “stress junkies”, whereas Type B types are relaxed and laid back. But there doesn’t seem to be much scientific evidence to support the linkage between the Type A personality and heart problems.
Down
2. Snickers bar filling : NOUGAT
“Nougat” is an Occitan word (Occitania being a region of Southern Europe) that translates as “nut bread”.
Snickers is a candy bar made by Mars. When I was growing up in Ireland, the same candy bar was sold as a Marathon. The name was changed in Europe to Snickers in 1990. 75% of the world’s Snickers bars are made in the Mars factory in Waco, Texas.
5. Text message qualifier : IMO
In my opinion (IMO)
10. Wharton’s school, familiarly : UPENN
Wharton is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. The school was established in 1881 largely due to a donation from industrialist Joseph Wharton, co-founder of Bethlehem Steel.
12. Broadway’s ___-Manuel Miranda : LIN
Lin-Manuel Miranda is composer and playwright from New York City, and the creator and star of the hit Broadway musicals “Hamilton” and “In the Heights”. Miranda also co-wrote the songs for the 2016 Disney animated feature “Moana”. He started composing early, and wrote jingles as a child. One of those jingles was later used by Eliot Spitzer in his 2006 gubernatorial campaign.
14. Digs for pigs : STY
“Digs” is short for “diggings” meaning “lodgings”. Where “diggings” came from, no one seems to know.
24. “Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue” artist : O’KEEFFE
Georgia O’Keeffe was an influential American artist, one who led the introduction of American art into Europe. Famously, she was married to photographer Alfred Stieglitz who helped develop her career in the early days. Georgia O’Keeffe’s last home was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she had done a lot of her work during her lifetime. She died there in 1986, at the ripe old age of 98. One of her most famous paintings is from 1926, called “Black Iris III”.
28. Nautical “Stop!” : AVAST!
“Avast” is a nautical term used to tell someone to stop or desist from what they are doing. The word comes from the Dutch “hou vast” meaning “hold fast”.
29. Perry with the 2010 hit “Firework” : KATY
Katy Perry is an American singer who grew up listening to and singing gospel music, as she was the daughter of two Christian pastors. In fact, her first musical release was a gospel album in 2001. She has branched out since then. Her first successful single was “Ur so Gay”, followed by “I Kissed A Girl”. She was married (for only a year) to the British comedian Russell Brand, until 2012.
30. Flair : ELAN
Our word “élan” was imported from French, in which language the word has a similar meaning to ours, i.e “style, flair”.
31. Loser to Clinton in 1996 : DOLE
Despite all Bob Dole’s success in the world of politics, he is remembered by many as the VP candidate who lost to Walter Mondale (and Jimmy Carter) and the presidential candidate who lost to incumbent Bill Clinton. The man is a true war hero. He joined up in 1942 and fought with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Italy. In 1945 he was hit by machine gun fire in his right arm and back Dole was so badly injured that his comrades could only dose him up with morphine, write “M” on his forehead with his own blood (so that another, fatal dose of morphine would not be administered) and continue fighting the battle. Dole had to wait nine hours to be evacuated from the battlefield, and wait another three years before being discharged from hospital back in the States.
40. Baby deer : FAWN
A fawn is a young deer, usually one less than a year old.
42. Pac-12 team about 625 miles from the Pacific : UTES
The Utah Utes are the athletic teams of the University of Utah.
43. How the Quran is written : IN ARABIC
The Koran is also known as the Qur’an in English, with “Qur’an” a transliteration of the Arabic name for the holy text of the Muslim faith. The literal translation of “Koran” is “the recitation”.
50. Kellogg’s Raisin ___ : BRAN
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 by Will Keith Kellogg as the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. Will established the enterprise while working with his brother John Harvey Kellogg at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. The brothers created corn flakes as a health food for patients at the sanitarium.
51. Leisurely strolls : PASEOS
A paseo is a slow stroll or walk taken outdoors. The term comes from the Spanish “pasear” meaning “to take a stroll”.
52. Yankees’ division, in brief : AL EAST
The New York Yankees baseball team has the nickname “the Bronx Bombers”. The nickname reflects where the team plays (the Bronx) and the team’s reputation for hitting (bombers). The New York Yankees were the first team to retire a uniform number, doing so on July 4, 1939. That day they retired the number 4 in honor of Lou Gehrig.
55. Lecterns : PODIA
“Podium” (plural “podia”) is the Latin word for “raised platform”.
56. Young’s partner in accounting : ERNST
Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four accountancy firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young is headquartered in London. The company was founded in 1989 with the merger of Ernst & Whinney with Young & Co.
58. Greet someone cordially : SAY HI
Back in the 14th century, we used the word “cordial” to mean “from the heart”. The most common meaning today is “courteous and gracious”. The original usage also evolved into the name for a drink that “stimulated the heart”. Today’s cordial beverages are strong, sweetened liqueurs.
61. Silicon Valley specialty : TECH
The Santa Clara Valley, located just a few miles from me at the south of San Francisco Bay, is better known as “Silicon Valley”. The term “Silicon Valley” dates back to 1971 when it was apparently first used in a weekly trade newspaper called “Electronic News” in articles written by journalist Don Hoefler.
63. Lunch order that might be grilled : BLT
The BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) is the second most popular sandwich in the US, after the plain old ham sandwich.
64. Title role for which Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for Best Actor : RAY
Jamie Foxx is the professional name used by Eric Marlon Bishop, an actor from Terrell, Texas. Foxx is a very versatile entertainer. He is an Oscar-winning actor (for playing the title role in “Ray”), and a Grammy Award winning musician. He is also a stand-up comedian and a talk-radio host.
Ray Charles came up with his stage name by dropping the family name from his real moniker “Ray Charles Robinson”. His life was a wild ride, and was well-represented in the excellent 2004 biopic called “Ray” starring Jamie Foxx in the title role. Ray Charles was married twice and fathered 12 children with nine different women. As I said, a wild ride …
65. Paranormal ability, for short : ESP
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
67. Hoopla : ADO
The word “hoopla” means “boisterous excitement”. The term probably comes from “houp-là”, something the French say instead of “upsy-daisy”. Then again, “upsy-daisy” probably isn’t something said very often here in the US …
68. Aussie animal : ROO
The word “kangaroo” comes from the Australian Aborigine term for the animal. There’s an oft-quoted story that the explorer James Cook (later Captain Cook) asked a local native what was the name of this remarkable-looking animal, and the native responded with “Kangaroo”. The story is that the native was actually saying “I don’t understand you”, but as cute as that tale is, it’s just an urban myth.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1. Like many internships : UNPAID
7. Place for a massage : SPA
10. Hybrid citrus fruits : UGLIS
15. “Just my luck!” : POOR ME!
16. Ripken with a record 2,632 consecutive games played : CAL
17. Identify someone without speaking : POINT
18. Superman’s fist? : DUKE OF KENT
20. Wee : EENSY
21. Forever and a day : AGES
22. Yang’s opposite : YIN
23. Forever and a day : EONS
25. Fortuneteller’s deck : TAROT
27. Iron Man without any clothes? : STARK NAKED
32. U.F.O. pilots : ETS
33. Sounds at doctors’ checkups : AHS
35. Shape of a plunging neckline : VEE
36. Symbol of saintliness : HALO
37. Finish, as a cake : ICE
38. Profoundly wise : SAGE
39. List-ending abbr. : ET AL
40. Batman’s water springs? : FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
45. Lead-in to girl : ATTA …
46. Fastener named for its shape : T-NUT
47. Placed coins in, as a parking meter : FED
48. Carolina ___ (state bird) : WREN
49. Bub : MAC
50. Something an apiphobe fears : BEE
51. Faux ___ : PAS
54. Spider-Man not minding his own business? : NOSY PARKER
57. “The Lord is my Shepherd” begins the 23rd one : PSALM
59. Famed N.Y.C. nightclub, with “the” : COPA
60. Untrustworthy sort : RAT
62. Sailing : ASEA
63. What a low-carb diet may ban : BREAD
66. When the Hulk was born? : BANNER YEAR
69. Indian yogurt drink : LASSI
70. Things requested by bouncers : IDS
71. Partner on a talk show : COHOST
72. Highly competitive, say : TYPE A
73. No-frills bed : COT
74. Raises, as a flag : HOISTS
Down
1. New edition of software : UPDATE
2. Snickers bar filling : NOUGAT
3. Hot rods? : POKERS
4. “Am not!” reply : ARE SO!
5. Text message qualifier : IMO
6. Go against : DEFY
7. Aroma : SCENT
8. Scathing review : PAN
9. Secondary identity … or what can be found in 18-, 27-, 40-, 54- and 66-Across : ALTER EGO
10. Wharton’s school, familiarly : UPENN
11. Proceeds : GOES AHEAD
12. Broadway’s ___-Manuel Miranda : LIN
13. Networkers’ goals : INS
14. Digs for pigs : STY
19. Meet face to face? : KISS
24. “Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue” artist : O’KEEFFE
26. Phrasing so as not to offend, say : TACT
28. Nautical “Stop!” : AVAST!
29. Perry with the 2010 hit “Firework” : KATY
30. Flair : ELAN
31. Loser to Clinton in 1996 : DOLE
34. Colorful image in a weather report : HEAT MAP
37. No matter what : IN ANY CASE
38. Crept (out), informally : SNUCK
40. Baby deer : FAWN
41. Spanish “other” : OTRO
42. Pac-12 team about 625 miles from the Pacific : UTES
43. How the Quran is written : IN ARABIC
44. Cry : WEEP
50. Kellogg’s Raisin ___ : BRAN
51. Leisurely strolls : PASEOS
52. Yankees’ division, in brief : AL EAST
53. Savviness : SMARTS
55. Lecterns : PODIA
56. Young’s partner in accounting : ERNST
58. Greet someone cordially : SAY HI
61. Silicon Valley specialty : TECH
63. Lunch order that might be grilled : BLT
64. Title role for which Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for Best Actor : RAY
65. Paranormal ability, for short : ESP
67. Hoopla : ADO
68. Aussie animal : ROO
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