0428-19 NY Times Crossword 28 Apr 19, Sunday

Constructed by: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Words of Introduction

Themed answers are common phrases, the initial letters of which spell out another word. That word is used in the corresponding clue:

  • 21A KIND words? : KOH-INOOR DIAMOND
  • 35A HAS words? : HEART AND SOUL
  • 60A BIG words? : BELIEF IN GOD
  • 82A ROOT words? : RUN OUT OF TOWN
  • 99A SAFE words? : SET A FINE EXAMPLE
  • 15D BAD words? : BEYOND ALL DOUBT
  • 44D LAST words? : LIKE A SORE THUMB

Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers

Bill’s time: 17m 22s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

14 Rhyme scheme of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” : ABCB

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is an epic poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge that was first published in 1798. The publication of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is said to mark the beginning of the Romantic period of British literature. Perhaps the lines most often quoted from the poem are:

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where
Nor any drop to drink

20 The Princess of Power, in cartoons : SHE-RA

“She-Ra: Princess of Power” is an animated television show, and a spinoff of the very successful “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe”. Both shows are aimed at young people, with “He-Man” targeted at boys and “She-Ra” at girls.

21 KIND words? : KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND

The Koh-i-Noor is one of the world’s largest cut diamonds, and weighs over 100 carats. It is thought that the diamond came from Kollur Mine in Andhra Pradesh, India. Originally owned by a series of Mughal Emperors, the Koh-i-Noor eventually fell into the hands of the Queen Victoria during the days of the British Raj. The diamond is now part of the British Crown Jewels that can been seen by the public in the Tower of London. Understandably, ownership of the Koh-i-Noor is in dispute, with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan as well as Britain all making claim to being the rightful owner.

24 Pulitzer-winning playwright Zoë : AKINS

Zoë Akins was a playwright from Humansville, Missouri who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1935 for her adaptation of the Edith Wharton’s “The Old Maid”. Her own play “The Greeks Had a Word for It” was adapted into the famous movie “How to Marry a Millionaire”, which rocketed Marilyn Monroe into stardom. Akins is the great-aunt of actress Laurie Metcalf.

26 Simon & Garfunkel song about emotional detachment : I AM A ROCK

“I Am a Rock” is a lovely song written by Paul Simon that was recorded most famously by Simon & Garfunkel on their 1965 album “Sounds of Silence”. The song made its first appearance as the opening track on Simon’s solo album “The Paul Simon Songbook” that he released earlier the same year.

29 Sports org. based in Indianapolis : NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dates back to the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. When his son broke his nose playing football at Harvard, President Roosevelt turned his attention to the number of serious injuries and even deaths occurring in college sports. He instigated meetings between the major educational institutions leading to the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) in 1906, which was given the remit of regulating college sports. The IAAUS became the NCAA in 1910. The NCAA has been headquartered in Indianapolis since 1999.

33 Wife of Jared Kushner : IVANKA

Ivanka Trump is the daughter of President Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana Trump. Ivanka’s birth name is Ivana Marie Trump. “Ivanka” is a diminutive of “Ivana”, and has been the First Daughter’s nickname for most of her life. Ivanka converted to the Hebrew faith after marrying Jared Kushner in 2009. Ivanka’s Hebrew name is “Yael”.

34 Craft measured in cubits : ARK

The ancient unit of length called a cubit was chosen as the length of the forearm. In some cultures a cubit was divided into 7 palms, the width of the hand excluding the thumb.

The term “ark”, when used with reference to Noah, is a translation of the Hebrew word “tebah”. The word “tebah” is also used in the Bible for the basket in which Moses was placed by his mother when she floated him down the Nile. It seems that the word “tebah” doesn’t mean “boat” and nor does it mean “basket”. Rather, a more appropriate translation is “life-preserver” or “life-saver”. So, Noah’s ark was Noah’s life-preserver during the flood.

41 Data for auto aficionados : YEARS

An aficionado is an enthusiast. Imported from Spanish, “aficionado” was originally used in English to describe a devotee of bullfighting.

43 Tributary of the Missouri : PLATTE

The Platte River used to be called the Nebrakier, which is an Oto word meaning “flat river”. Indeed, the state of Nebraska takes its name from “Nebrakier”. For a while it was also called the River Plate as “plate” is the French word “flat”. Later this became “Platte”, the phonetic spelling of the French “plate”.

45 Title in the House of Saud : EMIR

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest Arab country in the Middle East and is the world’s largest oil producer, home to the world’s largest oil reserves. The Saudi dynasty started in central Arabia in 1744 when the secular leader Muhammad ibn Saud joined forces with the Islamic scholar and Imam, Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab. At the time, Saud was a ruler of a town near Riyadh and he was determined to bring “true” Islam to the Arabian peninsula. Since 1744 the fortunes of the Saudi family have risen and fallen, but it is that same family who rules what we know today as Saudi Arabia.

47 Stand in a boardroom : EASEL

The word “easel” comes from an old Dutch word meaning “donkey” would you believe? The idea is that an easel carries its load (an oil painting, say) just as a donkey would be made to carry a load.

49 English counties : SHIRES

The word “shire” comes from the Old English “scir” meaning “administrative district”. The term was replaced with county as far back as the 14th century, but the usage persists to this day, largely because some counties retain the use of “-shire” as a suffix (Yorkshire, Lancashire etc.).

58 Sábado or domingo : DIA

In Spanish (Span.), the days of the week are masculine (masc.) nouns. Unlike in English, the days of the week in Spanish are not capitalized when used in the middle of a sentence:

  • lunes – Monday
  • martes – Tuesday
  • miércoles – Wednesday
  • jueves – Thursday
  • viernes – Friday
  • sábado – Saturday
  • domingo – Sunday

59 Goose Island products : ALES

Goose Island Brewery is located in Chicago, Illinois.

62 Of no relevance : MOOT

To moot is to bring up as a subject for discussion or debate. So, something that is moot is open to debate. Something that is no longer moot, is no longer worth debating. We don’t seem to be able get that right, which drives me crazy …

63 Wartime stat : MIA

Missing in action (MIA)

66 Watt-second : JOULE

James Joule was an English physicist who spent much of his life working in the family brewing business. Joule used his work in the brewery to study the relationship between heat and mechanical work. In honor of his achievements, his name is used for the unit of energy in the International System of Units (i.e. the joule).

67 The nouveau riche : UPSTARTS

The nouveau riche are people who have achieved their wealth themselves, and not from an inheritance. “Nouveau riche” is French for “new rich”.

70 “I ___” (what the Latin “veto” means) : FORBID

The verb “veto” comes directly from Latin and means “I forbid”. The term was used by tribunes of Ancient Rome to indicate that they opposed measures passed by the Senate.

72 Latin word on a dollar bill : ORDO

The Latin phrase “novus ordo seclorum” means “new order of the ages”. These words appear on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, a device used to authenticate some US federal documents. “Novus ordo seclorum” also appears on the back of one-dollar bills. The phrase itself is lifted from one of the works of the ancient Roman poet Virgil.

78 Ones who can’t change large bills? : TOUCANS

The toucan is a brightly-marked bird with a large, colorful bill. The name “toucan” comes into English via Portuguese from the Tupi name “tukana”. The Tupi were an indigenous people of Brazil.

81 ___ Zion Church : AME

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) Church was formed in New York City. The church was established by African-American Christians who faced discrimination when attending other churches. Initially the African-American congregations were led by Caucasian Methodist ministers, with the first African American being ordained in 1820.

84 A brace : TWO

A brace is a pair, as in a brace of game birds that have been killed for sport.

87 Ink : TATTOO

The word “tattoo” (often shortened to “tat”) was first used in English in the writings of the famous English explorer Captain Cook. In his descriptions of the indelible marks adorning the skin of Polynesian natives, Cook anglicized the Tahitian word “tatau” into our “tattoo”. Tattoos are sometimes referred to as “ink”.

91 Some early January curbside pickups : FIRS

The custom of decorating trees at Christmas seems to have originated in Renaissance Germany. Those first trees were placed in guildhalls and were decorated with sweets and candy for the apprentices and children. After the Protestant Reformation, the Christmas tree became an alternative in Protestant homes for the Roman Catholic Christmas cribs. The Christmas tree tradition was imported into Britain by the royal family because of its German heritage. That tradition spread from Britain into North America.

92 ___ Nebula, part of the constellation Taurus : CRAB

The Crab Nebula is located in the constellation of Taurus. It was discovered in 1731 by English astronomer John Bevis, although it appears to correspond to a bright supernova reported by Chinese astronomers in 1054.

In astronomical terms, a nebula is a cloud of dust and ionized gases (“nebula” is the Latin for “cloud”). Many nebulae form as gases collapse in on themselves under the influence of enormous gravitational forces. Ultimately these collapses can result in the creation of new stars.

93 Port on many laptops : ETHERNET

Ethernet is the name given to a standardized configuration of local area networks (LANs). An ethernet cable is that one that has a connector on the end that looks like a regular telephone connector, but is about twice as wide. Ethernet dates back to the mid seventies, when it was developed by the Xerox Corporation.

105 Military excursions : SORTIES

A sortie is an attack by an armed unit, and usually a breakout by forces that are besieged, The term “sortie” comes directly from French and means “a going out”. “Sortie” is also used for a mission by a combat aircraft.

Down

1 World capital said to have been founded by King Midas : ANKARA

Ankara is the second largest city in Turkey, after Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). After WWI, the Ottoman Empire had been defeated and the Allies occupied the Ottoman capital of Istanbul. The victors planned to break up most of Turkey, leaving native Turks just part of their country for their own. In the inevitable War of Independence that followed, the Turkish Nationalists used Ankara as their base. When the Nationalists emerged victorious, they declared Ankara the new capital of Turkey.

King Midas of Greek mythology might be termed an alchemist as he had the power to turn everything he touched into gold i.e. the Midas touch. The power that he was given became be a curse, as everything he touched turned to gold, including his food and drink and even his children.

4 ___ acid : AMINO

The amino acids glutamic acid and aspartame are used in the food industry. The sodium salt of glutamic acid is monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that imparts a savory taste. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener composed of aspartic acid and phenylaniline joined by a peptide bond.

7 “The Price Is Right” prize : SHOWCASE

“The Price is Right” is a television game show that first aired way back in 1956.

9 Charlie of “Stranger Things” : HEATON

“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi horror TV show made for Netflix that aired its first season in 2016. I don’t do horror, and so haven’t seen it …

10 2002 or 2019 Super Bowl player : RAM

The St. Louis Rams were based in Cleveland from 1936-45, Los Angeles from 1946-94, St. Louis from 1995 to 2015, and back in Los Angeles from 2016. The Rams have only won the Super Bowl once, i.e. Super Bowl XXXIV at the end of the 1999 season. The Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16.

12 Game meat : VENISON

Venison is the meat of a deer. In days of yore, the term “venison” applied not just to deer, but to any large game. The word ultimately derives from the Latin “venare” meaning “to hunt”.

13 Work that includes the Skáldskaparmál : EDDA

The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are two ancient works that are the source for much of Norse mythology. Both Eddas were written in the 13th century in Iceland.

14 Now, in Nogales : A HORA

Nogales (properly called “Heroica Nogales”) is a city in the Mexican State of Sonora. Nogales lies right on the Mexico-US border, opposite the city of Nogales, Arizona.

17 1990s war locale : BALKANS

The Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe is usually referred to as “the Balkans”. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains located in present-day Bulgaria and Serbia. “Balkan” is Bulgarian for “mountain”.

19 Bank posting : CD RATE

A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a less-flexible and higher-paying savings account. Instead of depositing money into a savings account and earning interest periodically, one can open a CD. With a CD one deposits a minimum amount of money but must leave it there for a specified length of time. In return for committing the funds for a fixed period, one is given a higher interest rate than a savings account and can redeem that interest and the initial deposit when the term has expired. CDs are relatively low-risk investments as they are FDIC insured, just like savings accounts.

20 Macedonian, e.g. : SLAV

Macedonia is a country in the Balkans of Southeast Europe. Macedonia declared independence from former Yugoslavia in 1991. The country is landlocked and is surrounded by Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania.

22 Howard ___, “The Fountainhead” protagonist : ROARK

“The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand was first published in 1943, and was her first novel to achieve public success. The story focuses on an idealistic architect, Howard Roark. Roark is uncompromising in his designs, refusing the give the public what it wants, staying doggedly loyal to his own vision.

31 Motrin competitor : ADVIL

The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen is sold under the brand names Advil and Motrin.

32 Bolshevik’s foe : TSAR

At the second party congress of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, a split developed. The faction with the most support was led by Vladimir Lenin. As they were in the majority, the group became known as the Bolsheviks, a term derived from the Russian word for “more” or “majority”. Lenin and the Bolsheviks led the October Revolution of 1917, as a result of which Lenin came to power. He headed the new Soviet State during its formative years.

41 Belgian river to the North Sea : YSER

The Yser river flows into the North Sea at Nieuwpoort in the Flemish province of West Flanders in Belgium.

48 Gobsmacked : AWED

“Gobsmack” is slang from the British Isles. “Gob” is also slang, for a mouth. So someone who is gobsmacked has received a “smack in the mouth”, is stunned.

49 Old SeaWorld attraction : SHAMU

Shamu was the name of the third orca (aka “killer whale”) ever to be featured in a public exhibition. Shamu starred in a popular SeaWorld show in San Diego in the sixties. After she died in 1971, her name lived on as the “stage name” of orca shows in different SeaWorld parks. That original Shamu was retired after she grabbed and refused to let go of the leg of one of her trainers.

50 Colonial merchant Samuel after whom a famous island is named : ELLIS

Ellis Island is an exclave of New York City that is geographically located within Jersey City, New Jersey. The name comes from a Samuel Ellis who owned the island around the time of the American Revolution. Ellis Island was the nation’s main immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954.

53 Some fish sauces : AIOLIS

To the purist, especially in Provence in the South of France, aioli is prepared just by grinding garlic with olive oil. However, other ingredients are often added to the mix, particularly egg yolks.

62 A.M.s : MORNS

The 12-hour clock has been around a long time, and was even used in sundial format in Ancient Egypt. Our use of AM and PM dates back to Roman times, with AM standing for Ante Meridiem (before noon) and PM standing for Post Meridiem (after noon). However, the Romans originally used the AM concept a little differently, by counting backwards from noon. So, 2AM to the Romans would be two hours before noon, or 10AM as we would call it today.

66 National chain selling crafts and fabrics : JO-ANN

Jo-Ann Stores operates the Jo-Ann Fabrics and Jo-Ann Etc. retail outlets. The original store was opened in 1943 by two couples: the Reichs and Rohrbachs. That first store was actually a cheese shop in Cleveland. Over time, the cheese was dropped in favor of fabrics and the Jo-Ann name was introduced. The name was chosen by combining the names of the daughters of the two couples (Joan and Jacqueline Ann).

69 Influential thinker known for his ego? : FREUD

Sigmund Freud created a structural model of the human psyche, breaking it into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is that part of the psyche containing the basic instinctual drives. The ego seeks to please the id by causing realistic behavior that benefits the individual. The superego almost has a parental role, contradicting the id by introducing critical thinking and morals to behavioral choices.

72 Have way too much of : OD ON

Overdose (OD)

73 Eight-time Best Director nominee who has won only once : SCORSESE

The movie director Martin Scorsese is very much a New York City native, and is well-known for directing movies set in the Big Apple. Among the list of great Scorsese films are “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, “Goodfellas”, “Cape Fear”, “Casino” and “The Departed”.

77 Not yet born : IN UTERO

“In utero” is a Latin term meaning “in the uterus”. The Latin “uterus” (plural “uteri”) translates as both “womb” and “belly”. The Latin word comes from the Greek “hystera” that also means “womb”, which gives us the words “hysterectomy”, and “hysterical”.

84 It circles the Earth : TROPIC

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

89 Airport whose name is also a big brand of nail polish : ORLY

Orly is a town on the outskirts of Paris to the south of the city. It is home to the Paris-Orly Airport, the second busiest international airport for the city after the more recently built Charles de Gaulle Airport. That said, Orly is home to more domestic flights than Charles de Gaulle.

92 Dumas’s “Le ___ de Monte-Cristo” : COMTE

“Comte” is the French word for “count”, as in “Le Comte de Monte-Cristo” (The Count of Monte Cristo) by Alexandre Dumas.

94 Basic cable channel owned by Disney : ESPN

The initialism “ESPN” stands for Entertainment Sports Programming Network. ESPN is a cable network that broadcasts sports programming 24 hours a day, and was launched back in 1979. ESPN has a lot of ardent fans. Several parents have named children Espn (usually pronounced “Espen”) on honor of the network.

96 Strauss’s “___ Alpensinfonie” : EINE

“An Alpine Symphony” (“Eine Alpensinfonie” in German) is a 1915 tone poem by German composer Richard Strauss. The piece depicts daybreak to nightfall climb of an Alpine mountain. “An Alpine Symphony” comprises just one movement, but it takes about 50 minutes to perform, and calls for an orchestra of 125 musicians.

101 Explosives org. : ATF

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is today part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The ATF has its roots in the Department of Treasury dating back to 1886 when it was known as the Bureau of Prohibition. “Explosives” was added to the ATF’s name when the bureau was moved under the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the reorganization called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

102 Tic-tac-toe loser : X-O-X

When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Thieves often go by them : ALIASES
8 Do well : THRIVE
14 Rhyme scheme of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” : ABCB
18 A little : NOT MUCH
19 Didn’t strictly follow one’s diet, say : CHEATED
20 The Princess of Power, in cartoons : SHE-RA
21 KIND words? : KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND
23 Steadfast : LOYAL
24 Pulitzer-winning playwright Zoë : AKINS
25 Ranking 50th among all states, say : WORST
26 Simon & Garfunkel song about emotional detachment : I AM A ROCK
28 Home to the Triple-A Aces : RENO
29 Sports org. based in Indianapolis : NCAA
30 Porridge ingredients : OATS
33 Wife of Jared Kushner : IVANKA
34 Craft measured in cubits : ARK
35 HAS words? : HEART AND SOUL
38 Retreat : DEN
39 Need for a restricted area : PASS KEY
40 Needs for some touring bands : VANS
41 Data for auto aficionados : YEARS
43 Tributary of the Missouri : PLATTE
45 Title in the House of Saud : EMIR
47 Stand in a boardroom : EASEL
49 English counties : SHIRES
50 Modern-day flood : EMAIL
52 Along with : AS WELL AS
55 Path finder : HIKER
56 Leaves ’em rolling in the aisles : SLAYS
57 Read between the lines : INFER
58 Sábado or domingo : DIA
59 Goose Island products : ALES
60 BIG words? : BELIEF IN GOD
62 Of no relevance : MOOT
63 Wartime stat : MIA
64 Bring up to date, say : CUE IN
65 Sign up for : ENTER
66 Watt-second : JOULE
67 The nouveau riche : UPSTARTS
69 Stink : FETOR
70 “I ___” (what the Latin “veto” means) : FORBID
71 Energy : OOMPH
72 Latin word on a dollar bill : ORDO
73 Ways of looking at things : SLANTS
74 Spanish meat : CARNE
76 Teacups at an amusement park, e.g. : RIDE
78 Ones who can’t change large bills? : TOUCANS
81 ___ Zion Church : AME
82 ROOT words? : RUN OUT OF TOWN
84 A brace : TWO
87 Ink : TATTOO
90 Render null and void : UNDO
91 Some early January curbside pickups : FIRS
92 ___ Nebula, part of the constellation Taurus : CRAB
93 Port on many laptops : ETHERNET
95 Doesn’t really know : FEELS
97 Noted Scottish exports : WOOLS
98 Moses’ father-in-law : REUEL
99 SAFE words? : SET A FINE EXAMPLE
103 Ticklish area : TUMMY
104 Just imagine : PRETEND
105 Military excursions : SORTIES
106 Spheres : ORBS
107 Like some credit cards : NON-FEE
108 Sees coming : EXPECTS

Down

1 World capital said to have been founded by King Midas : ANKARA
2 Attractive person, informally : LOOKER
3 Opinion piece? : I THINK
4 ___ acid : AMINO
5 Earns a bronze? : SUNS
6 Prefix with toxicology : ECO-
7 “The Price Is Right” prize : SHOWCASE
8 “What’s ___?!” : THIS
9 Charlie of “Stranger Things” : HEATON
10 2002 or 2019 Super Bowl player : RAM
11 “How was ___ know?” : I TO
12 Game meat : VENISON
13 Work that includes the Skáldskaparmál : EDDA
14 Now, in Nogales : A HORA
15 BAD words? : BEYOND ALL DOUBT
16 What Polly wants : CRACKER
17 1990s war locale : BALKANS
19 Bank posting : CD RATE
20 Macedonian, e.g. : SLAV
22 Howard ___, “The Fountainhead” protagonist : ROARK
27 “Cool” sum : MIL
29 Pest control targets : NESTS
31 Motrin competitor : ADVIL
32 Bolshevik’s foe : TSAR
35 Unceasing critic : HATER
36 Mate’s affirmative : AYE AYE
37 Employs as : USES FOR
39 Whittles (down) : PARES
41 Belgian river to the North Sea : YSER
42 Fish that can swim backward : EEL
43 Queen Elizabeth’s husband : PHILIP
44 LAST words? : LIKE A SORE THUMB
46 Cause of a paper jam : MISFEED
48 Gobsmacked : AWED
49 Old SeaWorld attraction : SHAMU
50 Colonial merchant Samuel after whom a famous island is named : ELLIS
51 Chief : MAIN
52 Theme of many heavy metal songs : ANGER
53 Some fish sauces : AIOLIS
54 Full : SATED
56 Transparent, informally : SEE-THRU
57 Mad about : INTO
60 Bit of dinner impoliteness : BURP
61 Completely : IN TOTO
62 A.M.s : MORNS
64 Hit town : CAME
66 National chain selling crafts and fabrics : JO-ANN
68 Lot : TON
69 Influential thinker known for his ego? : FREUD
70 Imperfections : FLAWS
72 Have way too much of : OD ON
73 Eight-time Best Director nominee who has won only once : SCORSESE
74 Target, as a specific audience : CATER TO
75 Mickey Mouse : AMATEUR
77 Not yet born : IN UTERO
79 Ruffle feathers, say : OFFEND
80 Having a function : UTILE
82 Florida governor DeSantis : RON
83 Sticky sweet : TOFFEE
84 It circles the Earth : TROPIC
85 Card carrier? : WALLET
86 Fixate : OBSESS
88 Overflows (with) : TEEMS
89 Airport whose name is also a big brand of nail polish : ORLY
92 Dumas’s “Le ___ de Monte-Cristo” : COMTE
94 Basic cable channel owned by Disney : ESPN
96 Strauss’s “___ Alpensinfonie” : EINE
97 Record defect : WARP
100 Attractive person, informally : TEN
101 Explosives org. : ATF
102 Tic-tac-toe loser : X-O-X

18 thoughts on “0428-19 NY Times Crossword 28 Apr 19, Sunday”

  1. 30:21, no errors. It took me a while to remember that “KOH-I-NOOR” has those hyphens in it, prior to which its pattern seemed different from that of the other theme answers. Good puzzle.

  2. 44:15. It took me a long time to get the theme. I don’t remember the KOH-I-NOOR DIAMOND (although I have been to the Tower of London display) . I was looking for some sort of anagram theme. I had to see all of the others to realize the theme.

    I’d never heard a “brace” to mean TWO. On a trivial note – TOUCANS use those large bills to control body temperature by varying the blood flow to it.

    Best –

  3. My Pittsburgh paper published today’s NYT crossword puzzle as PAPER WORK (0428) BY DONALSON AND PETERSON. Weird.

  4. 33:51, no errors, off of BEQ’s copy on his website. Nothing too eventful, besides the themers. Can’t say I get it, or whether there’s really any logical or entertainment value to them at all…

    I know it’s probably too short of a period, but I’ll get to see how this puzzle looks in syndication in 5 days. If I decide to do it at all after this.

  5. My syndication puzzle is the one that Bill posted for 0505 “Paper Work” by Samuel A. Donaldson and Doug Peterson. I’ll post for syndication under that one.

  6. 1:34:47 with one error….my paper posted this as #0505.
    Lots of stuff I didn’t know especially 21A.

  7. Kansas City paper posted as 0505 also. Bill provided a lot of trivia about 14A but did not explain the answer.

  8. It seems like the rhyme scheme for that example would be ABAB but what do I know. I finished this puzzle but have to say it was not very enjoyable. And I rarely say that.

  9. 23:39, no errors. I also wouldn’t have connected ‘brace’ with TWO, only remembered it vaguely, and after the fact. Fortunately, I never looked at that clue, filling all the boxes by verticals.

    1. In soccer a brace is two goals, as opposed to a hat trick. Two dogs harnessed together is also a brace I believe.

  10. Just finished as I usually work the Sunday puzzle in the afternoon.
    No errors and not too difficult although I needed crosses to get 21 across. Brace from a brace of pistols (two). Fetor? New to me. Not tons of fun today.

  11. My newspaper had the May 12 syndicated puzzle down as No. xxxx. So had to hunt for Bill’s answers and explanations. I thought it might be another example of sabotage from my local newspaper. Part of their on going push to get rid of the printed paper.
    Not a soccer fan so I’ve never heard of brace being two goals. I just remember a brace of pigeons…

  12. 21:28, 1 dumb error. Definitely remembered parts of this for doing it two weeks ago. Posted as #0505 in my paper.

  13. Not impressed with this puzzle. I got them all, but was completely flummoxed by 21A

    “Koh I Noor Diamond”

    MY HEAD

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