0425-19 NY Times Crossword 25 Apr 19, Thursday

Constructed by: Jon Olsen
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: : o )

We have a rebus puzzle today, with the symbols : o ) in the center of the grid, representing the words EYES, NOSE and MOUTH that are used in the crossing down-answers:

  • 3D Response to solving this puzzle : HAPPY FACE
  • 39A Elements of a 3-Down : : – ) i.e. EYES NOSE MOUTH
  • 35D Images such as 3-Down : EMOTICONS
  • 18A First two symbols in a 3-Down : COLON HYPHEN
  • 61A Final symbol in a 3-Down : PARENTHESIS
  • 25D Perches for some musicians : PIANO SEATS [ o = NOSE ]
  • 26D ___ Rock : PLYMOUTH [ ) = MOUTH ]
  • 39D Blot on a landscape : EYESORE [ : = EYES ]

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

Bill’s time: 13m 02s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

4 One cleansed by Jesus : LEPER

The horrible disease known as leprosy is also called Hansen’s disease, named after the Norwegian physician famous for isolating the bacterium that causes the disease. We can use the term “leper” to mean someone in general who is shunned by society.

14 Food fig. : RDA

Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) were introduced during WWII, and were replaced by Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs) in 1997.

15 President with the same first and last name as his father : OBAMA

Barack Obama, Sr. was first married at the age of 18 in his home country of Kenya, and had two children during that marriage. He left his wife and children back in Kenya when he enrolled in the University of Hawaii in 1959 as the school’s first African foreign student. There, Obama met Ann Dunham in a Russian language course. The two entered into a romantic relationship and Dunham became pregnant. Obama told Dunham that he was divorced from his first wife (not true), and the pair were married on Maui in 1961. Six months later, Barack Obama II was born, destined to become the 44th President of the United States. The couple divorced in 1964. After the divorce, Dunham was able to marry Lolo Soetoro, a Javanese surveyor who she met while he was studying for a masters degree at the university. Soetoro returned to Indonesia in 1966, and Dunham joined him there the following year with her 6-year-old son. Barack Obama spent four years in Indonesia before returning to Hawaii to live with his grandparents.

16 Amount to give : TITHE

Traditionally, a tithe is a payment of one tenth of a person’s annual income and is usually given to a church. Tithing is a practice taught in many traditions, and according to a 2002 survey, about 3% of American adults donate 10% or more of their income to a church.

22 Joe Namath and Vinny Testaverde, notably : EX-JETS

Just like the New York Giants, the New York Jets are based in New Jersey, headquartered in Florham Park. The Jets and the Giants have a unique arrangement in the NFL in that the two teams share Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets were an AFL charter team, formed in 1959 as the Titans of New York. The Titans changed their name to the Jets in 1963.

23 “Watermark” singer, 1988 : 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!

28 Co. with an image of Mercury in its logo : FTD

Back in 1910, fifteen florists from around America agreed to fulfill each other’s orders using the telegraph system, setting up what they called the Florists’ Telegraph Delivery. The concept grew so large that in 1965 the group started to offer international service, and changed its name to Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD).

30 Argentina was named after it : SILVER

Argentina is the second largest country in South America (after Brazil), and the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. The name “Argentina” comes from the Latin “argentum”, the word for “silver”. It is thought that the name was given by the early Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who also named the Rio de la Plata (the “Silver River”). Those early explorers got hold of lots of silver objects that they found among the native population.

35 Onetime competitor of RCA and Columbia : EMI

The Big Four recording labels were (until EMI was broken up in 2012 and absorbed by what became “the Big Three”):

  1. Universal Music Group
  2. Sony Music Entertainment
  3. Warner Music Group
  4. EMI

40 Poison ___ : SUMAC

Sumacs are a group of flowering shrubs and small trees that includes poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac (nasty stuff!). The leaves of some species of sumac contain tannins that are used for tanning leather. Morocco leather is an example of the use of sumac tannins.

42 Rhyming “Dr.” : DRE

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. Dr. Dre is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

45 Research institution in Atlanta : EMORY

Emory is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia with a focus on graduate research. The school was named after a Methodist Episcopal bishop called John Emory, who was very popular at the time of the school’s founding in 1836.

48 Expo, today : NAT

The Washington Nationals (“Nats”) baseball team started out life as the Montreal Expos in 1969, and were the first Major League Baseball team in Canada. The Expos moved to Washington in 2005 becoming the Nats. There are only two Major Leagues teams that have never played in a World Series, one being the Mariners and the other the Nats.

52 Myrrh, for one : RESIN

Frankincense and myrrh are both tree resins that are exuded when certain species of tree are damaged. The harvested resins are used to make essentials oils for perfumes, and are also burned to give off a pleasant fragrance.

54 Rub the wrong way : MIFF

To miff is to put out, to tee off, and is verb that has been around since the early 1600s. Interestingly, in 1824 Sir Walter Scott described the word “miffed” as “a women’s phrase”. That should get him a slap, I’d say …

64 Palindromic brand in the kitchen : OXO

The OXO line of kitchen utensils and housewares is designed to be ergonomically superior to the average household tools. The intended user of OXO products is someone who doesn’t have the normal range of motion or strength in the hands e.g. someone suffering from arthritis.

66 Longtime Susan Lucci role on “All My Children” : ERICA

“All My Children” was the first daytime soap opera to debut in the seventies. Star of the show was Susan Lucci who played Erica Kane. The show was cancelled in 2011 after being on the air for 41 years.

67 Con opener? : NEO-

By definition, a neoconservative (neocon) is a formerly left-aligned politician who has moved to the right, and who now supports the use of American power and military might to bring democracy, liberty, equality and human rights to other countries.

68 What the mnemonic “Every good boy does fine” represents : NOTES

Those would be the notes on the lines of the treble clef.

69 “Olympia” painter : MANET

Édouard Manet painted “Olympia”” in 1863. The painting caused a lot of controversy when it was first shown. Despite the grandiose title, Olympia is actually a courtesan, and that caused offence in the art appreciation circles at that time. I have been lucky enough to have seen the work (which doesn’t offend anyone anymore!) a few times in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

70 Georgia, once: Abbr. : SSR

The former Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of Georgia is now an independent country. Supposedly, the Georgian people were given their name because they especially revered St. George. The flag of Georgia does indeed feature five St. George’s crosses.

Down

1 End of every verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner” : BRAVE

The lyrics of “The Star-Spangled Banner” were written first as a poem by Francis Scott Key. Key’s inspiration was the bombarding by the British of the American forces at Fort McHenry that he witnessed during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814. The words were then set to the tune of a popular British drinking song penned by John Stafford Smith called “The Anacreontic Song”, with the Anacreontic Society being a men’s club in London.

3 Response to solving this puzzle : HAPPY FACE

Always :o)

4 Bananas : LOCO

In Spanish, “un maníaco” (a maniac) is “loco” (crazy).

The expression “to go bananas” is one that I would have imagined had a clear etymology but that doesn’t seem to be the case. A further surprise is that we’ve only been “going bananas” since the sixties, in the days of flower power. One apt theory about the hippy roots of the phrase is that there was an unfounded belief that ingesting roasted banana peels had a similar hallucinogenic effect as magic mushrooms.

5 Offering on Amazon : E-BOOK

Amazon.com is the largest online retailer in the world. It is also the largest Internet company in the world by revenue. The company was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, in his garage in Bellevue, Washington. I’m a big fan of Amazon’s approach to customer service …

6 Capital of the Canary Islands, after “Las” : … PALMAS

Gran Canaria, or Grand Canary Island, may be grand but it isn’t quite as big as Tenerife, the largest island of the group and the most populated. The capital of Gran Canaria is Las Palmas, which was a port of call for Christopher Columbus in 1492 on his way to the Americas.

9 Home to a mythical ferry : STYX

The River Styx of Greek mythology was the river that formed the boundary between the Earth and the Underworld (or “Hades”). The souls of the newly dead had to cross the River Styx in a ferry boat piloted by Charon. Traditionally, a coin would be placed in the mouths of the dead “to pay the ferryman”.

12 Butler of renown : RHETT

In Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone with the Wind”, when Rhett Butler finally walks out on Scarlett O’Hara he utters the words “My dear, I don’t give a damn”. Most of us are more familiar with the slightly different words spoken by Clark Gable in the film adaption of the story: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

21 Pi or phi, in math : RATIO

By definition, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is the mathematical constant known as pi. The same constant shows up as the ratio of a circle’s area to its radius squared.

The golden ratio, sometimes called the “golden mean” and denoted by the Greek letter phi, is a mathematical constant that often turns up in the world of art. Phi is approximately equal to 1.61, and is represented by the two distances, a and b, where (a+b)/a = a/b. Somehow we perceive the ratio of 1.61 as “pleasing” so it appears in many works of art and in building design. For example, many aspects of the Parthenon in Athens have the ratio of 1.61 (width compared to height). Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man also illustrates the golden ratio in the proportions of the human body, where he shows that the distance from the foot to the navel, compared to the distance from the navel to the head, is 1.61.

26 ___ Rock : PLYMOUTH

The early settlers of the Plymouth Colony were known as English Dissenters and belonged to congregations that separated from the Church of England. Many English Dissenters headed for Holland in the Netherlands, but the Mayflower Pilgrims opted to set up a new colony in North America in an effort to maintain their English cultural identity.

31 Center of the Krupp family dynasty : ESSEN

Essen is a large industrial city located on the River Ruhr in western Germany. The city experienced major population growth in the mid-1800s that was driven by the iron works established by the Krupp family.

32 Condition with tics, for short : OCD

Apparently, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed mental disorder, making it about as prevalent as asthma.

33 Winter Olympics powerhouse: Abbr. : NOR

Norway has been ranked as the country in the world with the highest standard of living almost every year since 2001. Norway is rich in natural resources and has a relatively low population. The people benefit from a comprehensive social security system, subsidized higher education for all citizens and universal health care. And Norway is famous for her success at the Winter Olympic Games, having won more gold medals than any other nation in the world.

35 Images such as 3-Down : EMOTICONS
(3D Response to solving this puzzle : HAPPY FACE)

An emoticon is a glyph created using text characters to represent facial features, and usually oriented sideways. The emoticon is designed to indicate emotion or attitude. The classic example is the smiley face: 🙂

41 Rich, savory flavor : UMAMI

Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. “Umami” is a Japanese word used to describe “a pleasant savory taste”. Umami was proposed as a basic taste in 1908, but it wasn’t until 1985 that the scientific community finally accepted it as such.

50 Home of the Sawtooth National Forest : IDAHO

Sawtooth National Forest is located almost completely in Idaho, with 4% of its area spilling over into Utah. Named for the Sawtooth Mountains that cross it, the area was set aside for the nation in a proclamation signed by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1905.

51 Character who popularized the “mankini” : BORAT

The full name of the 2006 “mockumentary” is “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”. Borat is played by a British comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. Not my cup of tea …

56 One of 163 in the Burj Khalifa : FLOOR

Burj Khalifa is a spectacular skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest man-made structure in the world, and has been so since the completion of its exterior in 2009. The space in the building came onto the market at a really bad time, during the global financial crisis. The building was part of a US$20 billion development of downtown Dubai that was backed by the city government which had to go looking for a bailout from the neighboring city of Abu Dhabi. The tower was given the name Burj Khalifa at the last minute, apparently as a nod to the UAE president Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan who helped to broker the bailout.

60 Princeton Review subj. : PSAT

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)

The Princeton Review is a company that offers test preparation for those about to take college admission tests.

63 Alternative to Gain : ERA

Era was the first liquid laundry detergent produced by Procter & Gamble.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Cry of disgust : BAH!
4 One cleansed by Jesus : LEPER
9 Outlet, for one : STORE
14 Food fig. : RDA
15 President with the same first and last name as his father : OBAMA
16 Amount to give : TITHE
17 Power increaser : AMP
18 First two symbols in a 3-Down : COLON HYPHEN
20 Place to find a cluster of stars? : VIP ROOM
22 Joe Namath and Vinny Testaverde, notably : EX-JETS
23 “Watermark” singer, 1988 : ENYA
24 ___ Alpha Theta, first Greek-letter sorority in the U.S. : KAPPA
27 Affected : ARTY
28 Co. with an image of Mercury in its logo : FTD
30 Argentina was named after it : SILVER
32 Live : ON AIR
34 Assents at sea : AYES
35 Onetime competitor of RCA and Columbia : EMI
38 Shade of brown : COCOA
39 Elements of a 3-Down : : – ) i.e. EYES NOSE MOUTH
40 Poison ___ : SUMAC
42 Rhyming “Dr.” : DRE
43 “Hold your horses!” : WHOA!
45 Research institution in Atlanta : EMORY
46 Shows derision, in a way : SNORTS
48 Expo, today : NAT
49 Dovetail (with) : JIBE
52 Myrrh, for one : RESIN
54 Rub the wrong way : MIFF
57 Treasures : ADORES
59 In the news : TOPICAL
61 Final symbol in a 3-Down : PARENTHESIS
64 Palindromic brand in the kitchen : OXO
65 Something to lend : A HAND
66 Longtime Susan Lucci role on “All My Children” : ERICA
67 Con opener? : NEO-
68 What the mnemonic “Every good boy does fine” represents : NOTES
69 “Olympia” painter : MANET
70 Georgia, once: Abbr. : SSR

Down

1 End of every verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner” : BRAVE
2 Online moderator, for short : ADMIN
3 Response to solving this puzzle : HAPPY FACE
4 Bananas : LOCO
5 Offering on Amazon : E-BOOK
6 Capital of the Canary Islands, after “Las” : … PALMAS
7 Indie rock genre : EMO
8 Commanded : RAN
9 Home to a mythical ferry : STYX
10 Item sometimes next to a cash register : TIP JAR
11 Survey option : OTHER
12 Butler of renown : RHETT
13 Minuscule, informally : EENSY
19 It’s more than a fling : HEAVE
21 Pi or phi, in math : RATIO
25 Perches for some musicians : PIANO SEATS
26 ___ Rock : PLYMOUTH
29 Like curtains and cartoons : DRAWN
31 Center of the Krupp family dynasty : ESSEN
32 Condition with tics, for short : OCD
33 Winter Olympics powerhouse: Abbr. : NOR
35 Images such as 3-Down : EMOTICONS
36 Sully : MAR
37 Unfriendly : ICY
39 Blot on a landscape : EYESORE
41 Rich, savory flavor : UMAMI
44 Raised block of the earth’s crust, to a geologist : HORST
46 Unruffled : SERENE
47 Doesn’t officially enroll : SITS IN
49 Country with the second greatest number of McDonald’s restaurants after the U.S. [2,900+] : JAPAN
50 Home of the Sawtooth National Forest : IDAHO
51 Character who popularized the “mankini” : BORAT
53 “Neat” : NO ICE
55 Some document transmissions : FAXES
56 One of 163 in the Burj Khalifa : FLOOR
58 Extremities : ENDS
60 Princeton Review subj. : PSAT
62 Bottom line? : HEM
63 Alternative to Gain : ERA