0725-19 NY Times Crossword 25 Jul 19, Thursday

Constructed by: Erik Agard & Andy Kravis
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Jumpers

We have two kinds of themed answers today. The first set comprises two answers that JUMP over a middle answer. The second set of themed answers use circled letters from the first set as the first “JUMP” word, followed by the word that was JUMPED over. Complicated …

  • 25D Some basketball shots … and the theme of this puzzle : JUMPERS
  • 17A iPhone download : MOBILE APP
  • 18A 2020, but not 2019 or 2021 : LEAP YEAR
  • 40A Los Angeles neighborhood that includes Dodger Stadium : ECHO PARK
  • 41A Classic Dr. Seuss book : HOP ON POP
  • 62A Mountain rescue group : SKI PATROL
  • 63A Flee to avoid obligations, say : SKIP TOWN

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

Bill’s time: 8m 56s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

10 Franchise with a “Cyber” spinoff : CSI

The “CSI” franchise of TV shows has been tremendously successful, but has finally wound down. “CSI: Miami” (the “worst” of the franchise, I think) was cancelled in 2012 after ten seasons. “CSI: NY” (the “best” of the franchise) was cancelled in 2013 after nine seasons. The original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, set in Las Vegas, hung in there until 2015 when it ended with a two-hour TV movie. The youngest show in the series was “CSI: Cyber”. It lasted for two seasons, before being canceled in 2016.

16 Kylo ___ (Adam Driver role) : REN

Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa in the “Star Wars” universe. The character’s birth name was Ben Solo. He was trained as a Jedi knight by his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Ben came to embrace the Dark Side, and changed his name to Kylo Ren. Ren is played by actor Adam Driver.

18 2020, but not 2019 or 2021 : LEAP YEAR

I wasn’t sure of the origin of the term “leap year”, and when I checked I found it to be fairly obvious. As a reference, let’s use March 25, 2007, a Sunday. The year before, in 2006, March 25th fell one weekday earlier on a Saturday. That follows the rule that any particular date moves forward in the week by one day, from one year to the next. However, the next year (2008) has an extra day, February 29th. So March 25, 2008 falls on a Tuesday, “leaping” two weekdays forward, not one, as 2008 is a “leap” year. I think I am more confused now then when I started this paragraph …

24 Rapper Nicki : MINAJ

Nicki Minaj is a rapper from the New York borough of Queens who was born in Trinidad.

27 1990s antidiscrimination law, for short : ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

35 Friends of Nancy : AMIS

Nancy is a city in northeastern France.

36 Cousin of a Drama Desk Award : OBIE

The Obies are the “Off-Broadway Theater Awards”. The Obies have been presented annually since 1956. The recipients used to be chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper, but now are jointly administered with the American Theatre Wing.

40 Los Angeles neighborhood that includes Dodger Stadium : ECHO PARK

Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is the third oldest stadium currently used in Major League Baseball (after Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago).

41 Classic Dr. Seuss book : HOP ON POP

“Hop on Pop” is a Dr. Seuss book that was first published in 1963 with the subtitle “The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use”. “Hop on Pop” was listed by former First Lady Laura Bush as her favorite title, citing the memories evoked of family life with her young daughters.

45 Action figure with 21 moving parts : GI JOE

G.I. Joe was the original “action figure”, the first toy to carry that description. G.I. Joe first hit the shelves in 1964. There have been a few movies based on the G.I. Joe figure, but, more famous than all of them I would say is the 1997 movie “G.I. Jane” starring Demi Moore in the title role. I thought that “G.I. Jane” had some potential, to be honest, but it really did not deliver in the end.

53 Tony : SMART

Something described as tony is elegant or exclusive. “Tony” is derived from the word “tone”.

58 Piece of hotel room furniture : ARMOIRE

“Armoire” is the French word for “wardrobe”, and is used in English for a standing closet that stores clothes.

69 Actor Penn : KAL

Indian-American actor Kal Penn made a name for himself in the “Harold & Kumar” series of comedy films. These so called “stoner comedies” are not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed him playing his more mainstream roles on TV’s “House” and “24”. He left the world of acting when President Obama won the 2008 election to work as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement (although he did leave the White House briefly to film the “Harold & Kumar” sequel).

70 Epitome of luxury, with “the” : RITZ

César Ritz was a Swiss hotelier, who had a reputation for developing the most luxurious of accommodations and attracting the wealthiest clientèle. He opened the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1898 and the second of his most famous hotels, the Ritz Hotel in London, in 1906. Ritz was lucky in his career, as before starting his own hotel chain he had been dismissed from the Savoy Hotel in London, implicated in the disappearance of a substantial amount of wine and spirits. Today’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was founded in 1983, although the chain has its roots in the properties developed by César Ritz.

71 Cousin of -ian : -ESQUE

The suffix “-esque” came into English from Italian (“-esco”), which in turn derives from Latin (“-iscus”).

Down

1 “Brave New World” drug : SOMA

In Aldous Huxley’s 1931 masterpiece, “Brave New World”, the members of his future society are encouraged to partake of the drug called soma. The soma provides hangover-free escapes referred to as “holidays”.

There is a speech by Miranda in “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare that is the source for the title of the dystopian novel “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley:

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t.

4 2007 #1 Alicia Keys album : AS I AM

“Alicia Keys” is the stage name of Alicia Cook, an R&B and soul singer from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

5 British royal : WILLIAM

Born in 1982, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is the elder of the two sons of Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales. As such, William is second in line to the British throne, after his father.

6 American Pharoah or Citation : BAY

Bay is a reddish-brown color. The term “bay” usually describes the coat of a horse, or a horse with a coat of such a color.

American Pharoah was the twelfth winner of the Triple Crown, achieving the feat in 2015. The horse’s name was inspired by that of his parents: Pioneerof the Nile (dam) and Yankee Gentleman (sire). And, as some kind blog readers have pointed out, there are a some unexpected spellings in the names of horses. One might expect “American Pharoah” to be spelled “American Pharaoh”, and indeed “Pioneerof the Nile” to be written as “Pioneer of the Nile”. More challenges for us crossworders …

When the race horse Citation won the Hollywood Gold Cup in 1951, it became the first horse with career winnings over $1 million. After that win, Citation’s owners promptly retired him to stud.

8 Belarusian, e.g. : SLAV

The Republic of Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located east of Poland and north of Ukraine. Belarus didn’t exist as an entity until the Russian Revolution when it was created as one of the Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs) that made up the USSR. The Republic of Belarus was formed soon after the USSR dissolved in 1990, but unlike many of the former Soviet Republics, Belarus has retained many of the old Soviet policies. Alexander Lukashenko is the country’s president and he believes in state ownership of the economy. Belarus and Russia have formal agreements in place that pledge cooperation.

11 Certain photo filter : SEPIA

Sepia is that rich, brown-grey color so common in old photographs. “Sepia” is the Latinized version of the Greek word for cuttlefish, as sepia pigment is derived from the ink sac of the cuttlefish. Sepia ink was commonly used for writing and drawing as far back as ancient Rome and ancient Greece. The “sepia tone” of old photographs is not the result of deterioration over time. Rather, it is the result of a deliberate preservation process which converts the metallic silver in the photographic image to a more stable silver sulfide. Prints that have been sepia-toned can last in excess of 150 years.

23 Aquarium attractions : OCTOPI

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

27 God often depicted with a shield : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

31 Artistic school project : DIORAMA

A diorama is a full-scale of small-scale replica of a scene. We mostly see full-size dioramas in museums, whereas our kids might create small-scale dioramas as homework projects. The original diorama was a picture-viewing device that was invented in 1822 by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton. These historic dioramas were quite large, and featured scenes that appeared to change as the lighting was manipulated.

32 Possible response to “How did you know?” : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

37 Cabo’s peninsula : BAJA

The Baja California Peninsula lies in the northwest of Mexico. It is bounded on the southwest by the Pacific Ocean, and on the northeast by the Gulf of California. The border city of Mexicali sits at the north of the peninsula, and the resort city of Cabo San Lucas sits at the southern tip.

Cabo San Lucas is a major tourist destination at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. “Cabo” is sometimes referred to as the “Fort Lauderdale of Mexico”.

45 On topic : GERMANE

Something that is germane is relevant. “Germane” originally meant “having the same parents”, but the term was used more figuratively to mean “on topic” by William Shakespeare in “Hamlet”. That’s the way we’ve been using the word since “Hamlet” was first performed in the 1600s.

47 New Hampshire academy locale : EXETER

Exeter is a town in New Hampshire that was incorporated way back in 1638. Exeter takes its name from the Exeter River that passes through the town.

48 Sheets of rain? : TARPS

Originally, tarpaulins were made from canvas covered in tar that rendered the material waterproof. The word “tarpaulin” comes from “tar” and “palling”, with “pall” meaning “heavy cloth covering”.

51 Finnish tech giant : NOKIA

I do enjoy classical guitar music, but there isn’t a huge choice on CD. There is one very special piece called “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tárrega, written in 1902. This piece has a unique reputation as it contains a phrase that was once the most listened-to piece of music in the whole world. Just a few bars into the work one can hear the celebrated Nokia ringtone.

56 Edible algae used to wrap sushi : NORI

Nori is an edible seaweed that we used to know as “laver” when I was living in Wales. Nori is usually dried into thin sheets. Here in the US, we are most familiar with nori as the seaweed used as a wrap for sushi.

57 Ninny : TWIT

“Twit” is a word not used very often here in America. It’s a slang term that was quite common in England where it was used for “someone foolish and idiotic”.

59 Neighbor of Turkey : IRAQ

Iraq is often called the “Cradle of Civilization” as it was home to Sumer, which was the earliest known civilization on the planet. By 5000 BC the Sumerian people were practicing year-round agriculture and had a specialized labor force. For the first time, a whole race were able to settle in one place by storing food, instead of having to migrate in a pattern dictated by crops and grazing land.

60 Popular streaming device : ROKU

Roku is a manufacturer of digital media players that allow access to audio and video programming over the Internet that is shown on television. Roku was founded in Los Gatos, California in 2002 by Anthony Wood. Wood chose the company name “Roku” as it is the Japanese word for “six”, and Roku is the sixth company that Wood founded.

61 If-then-___ (kind of logic statement) : ELSE

In the world of computer programming, an “if-then-else” construct is a type of conditional statement. The idea is that IF a particular condition is met THEN a particular action is executed. The additional ELSE statement can be used to define an alternative action.

64 Part of the body between la bouche and les yeux : NEZ

In French, “le nez” (the nose) is found between “la bouche” (the mouth) and “les yeux” (the eyes).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Last ___ : STRAW
6 Stereo knob : BASS
10 Franchise with a “Cyber” spinoff : CSI
13 “… you sure about that?” : … OR IS IT?
15 Up to it : ABLE
16 Kylo ___ (Adam Driver role) : REN
17 iPhone download : MOBILE APP
18 2020, but not 2019 or 2021 : LEAP YEAR
20 Most of Google’s income : AD SALES
22 Film not seen in theaters : TV MOVIE
24 Rapper Nicki : MINAJ
26 Deep : OCEAN
27 1990s antidiscrimination law, for short : ADA
30 90s kid? : A-STUDENT
33 World : REALM
35 Friends of Nancy : AMIS
36 Cousin of a Drama Desk Award : OBIE
40 Los Angeles neighborhood that includes Dodger Stadium : ECHO PARK
41 Classic Dr. Seuss book : HOP ON POP
43 C-worthy : SO-SO
44 Loading area : PIER
45 Action figure with 21 moving parts : GI JOE
46 Ventilated container : PET CRATE
49 “Is there a point to all this?” : AND?
50 What may be found behind the appendix : INDEX
53 Tony : SMART
55 Flood : TORRENT
58 Piece of hotel room furniture : ARMOIRE
62 Mountain rescue group : SKI PATROL
63 Flee to avoid obligations, say : SKIP TOWN
66 It’s in the pipeline : OIL
67 ___ Railroad Co. v. Tompkins (landmark 1938 Supreme Court case) : ERIE
68 Gym pair, informally : SNEAKS
69 Actor Penn : KAL
70 Epitome of luxury, with “the” : RITZ
71 Cousin of -ian : -ESQUE

Down

1 “Brave New World” drug : SOMA
2 Walked heavily : TROD
3 Specialty of Kansas City cooks : RIBS
4 2007 #1 Alicia Keys album : AS I AM
5 British royal : WILLIAM
6 American Pharoah or Citation : BAY
7 Not on ___ : A BET
8 Belarusian, e.g. : SLAV
9 Sunday delivery : SERMON
10 Thirst for : CRAVE
11 Certain photo filter : SEPIA
12 Unerasable, say : IN PEN
14 Winter temps, in many places : TEENS
21 Mephistophelian : SATANIC
23 Aquarium attractions : OCTOPI
25 Some basketball shots … and the theme of this puzzle : JUMPERS
27 God often depicted with a shield : ARES
28 Retro style : DECO
29 Sounds at a fireworks show : AAHS
31 Artistic school project : DIORAMA
32 Possible response to “How did you know?” : ESP
34 2012 time travel thriller : LOOPER
37 Cabo’s peninsula : BAJA
38 Unwavering : IRON
39 Managed to get, with “out” : EKED
41 Not join, with “out” : OPT
45 On topic : GERMANE
47 New Hampshire academy locale : EXETER
48 Sheets of rain? : TARPS
50 “No worries” : IT’S OK
51 Finnish tech giant : NOKIA
52 Dry run : DRILL
54 Completely, in modern lingo : TOTES
56 Edible algae used to wrap sushi : NORI
57 Ninny : TWIT
59 Neighbor of Turkey : IRAQ
60 Popular streaming device : ROKU
61 If-then-___ (kind of logic statement) : ELSE
64 Part of the body between la bouche and les yeux : NEZ

8 thoughts on “0725-19 NY Times Crossword 25 Jul 19, Thursday”

  1. I don’t time my efforts, but I will say that this one took me forever. Got the theme early on, then discovered the “double” theme which helped. Final result was no errors and an inky mess. A Thursday challenge, for sure.

  2. 24:03, no errors and actually got the entire theme before I came here. Confident in all answers except 12D, IN PEN didn’t dawn on me until I came here.
    Not a fan of clues like 64D; editor could have easily gone with “___ Perce tribe”.

  3. Each of the three theme answers does not just double-duty but triple-duty, as in Skip, Skip Town, and Ski Patrol. Very impressive.

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