0902-19 NY Times Crossword 2 Sep 19, Monday

Constructed by: Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Pentathlon

Themed answers end with something that PENTATHLETES do:

  • 60A Summer Olympics contest whose participants do the ends of the answers to the starred clues : PENTATHLON
  • 17A *Arthur Carlson portrayer on “WKRP in Cincinnati” : GORDON JUMP
  • 23A *Job for a model : PHOTO SHOOT
  • 52A *2000 stop-motion animated comedy hit : CHICKEN RUN
  • 9D *Late-night Cartoon Network programming block : ADULT SWIM
  • 32D *Winter barrier : SNOW FENCE

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

Bill’s time: 5m 46s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Airport about 13 miles from the Loop : O’HARE

The IATA airport code for O’Hare International in Chicago is ORD, which comes from Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (OR-D).

The historic commercial center of Chicago is known as the Loop. One theory is that the “loop” got its name from the cable loops in the city’s old cable car system. An alternative theory is that term only arose with the construction of the elevated railway “loop” that forms the hub of the city’s “L” system.

17 *Arthur Carlson portrayer on “WKRP in Cincinnati” : GORDON JUMP

The sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” was produced by MTM, the production company established by Mary Tyler Moore and her husband for the “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. “WKRP” was a successful enough show when it originally aired, but then became a blockbuster in syndication. It became MTM’s most-watched program, even outstripping the original “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”.

19 Ancient Chinese book of divination : I CHING

The “I Ching” is an ancient Chinese text dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. The text deals with aspects of cosmology and divination, and perhaps served as a guide for making predictions of the future. The statements in the “I Ching” consist of 64 hexagrams, sets of six lines composed in horizontal stacks.

26 Website for some custom-designed jewelry : ETSY

Etsy.com is an e-commerce website where you can buy and sell the kind of items that you might find at a craft fair.

37 Country between Togo and Nigeria : BENIN

The Republic of Benin is a country in West Africa. Benin used to be a French colony, and was known as Dahomey. Dahomey gained independence in 1975, and took the name Benin after the Bight of Benin, the body of water on which the country lies.

Togo is a country on the West African coast, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. It is located between Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.

Nigeria is in West Africa, and it takes its name from the Niger River that flows through the country. Nigeria is the most populous country on the continent, with over 180 million inhabitants. It is also the most populous member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

39 Sheepskin boot brand : UGG

Uggs are sheepskin boots that were first produced in Australia and New Zealand. The original Uggs have sheepskin fleece on the inside for comfort and insulation, with a tanned leather surface on the outside for durability. “Ugg” is a generic term Down Under, although it’s a brand name here in the US.

42 Producer Rhimes who created “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” : SHONDA

Shonda Rhimes is the creator and head writer of the TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal”. She also serves as executive producer for the crime shows “How to Get Away with Murder” and “The Catch”. Rhimes also runs her own production company called Shondaland.

44 Coupe or sedan : AUTO

The type of car known as a “coupe” or “coupé” is a closed automobile with two doors. The name comes from the French word “couper” meaning “to cut”. In most parts of the English-speaking world the pronunciation adheres to the original French, but here in most of North America we go with “coop”. The original coupé was a horse-drawn carriage that was cut (coupé) to eliminate the rear-facing passenger seats. That left just a driver and two front-facing passengers. If the driver was left without a roof and out in the open, then the carriage was known as a “coupé de-ville”.

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in the UK), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

48 Native New Zealander : MAORI

The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are eastern Polynesian in origin and began arriving in New Zealand relatively recently, starting some time in the late 13th century. The word “māori” simply means “normal”, distinguishing the mortal human being from spiritual entities. The Māori refer to New Zealand as “Aotearoa”.

58 Colorful pond fish : KOI

Koi are fish that are also known as Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.

60 Summer Olympics contest whose participants do the ends of the answers to the starred clues : PENTATHLON

The original pentathlon of the ancient Olympic games consisted of a foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin and discus. When a new pentathlon was created as a sport for the modern Olympic Games, it was given the name the “modern pentathlon”. First introduced in 1912, the modern pentathlon consists of:

  1. pistol shooting
  2. épée fencing
  3. 200m freestyle swimming
  4. show jumping
  5. 3km cross-country running

67 Traditional wearer of plaid : SCOT

Tartan is sometimes called “plaid” over here in the US, and is a word not used in the same sense outside of this country. In Scotland, a “plaid” is a blanket or a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder.

68 Fitness program popularized in the 1990s : TAE BO

Tae Bo isn’t an ancient martial art, even though it perhaps sounds like one. The discipline was developed as a form of aerobic exercise in the 1990s by taekwondo expert Billy Blanks who gave it the name Tae Bo, a melding of “taekwondo” and “boxing”.

70 DeskJet printers and others : HPS

The giant multinational HP (originally “Hewlett-Packard”) was founded in 1939 with an investment of $538 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. The company name would have been Packard-Hewlett, if Dave Packard had won a coin toss!

Down

2 Popular cobbler fruit : PEACH

The dessert called “cobbler” originated in colonial America when settlers invented it as a substitute for suet pudding as they didn’t have the necessary ingredients to make the more traditional dish. Instead, they stewed fruit and covered it with a layer of uncooked scones or biscuits, creating a surface that resembled a “cobbled” street, hence the name.

3 Dried chili in Mexican food : ANCHO

An ancho is a dried poblano pepper that is used in Mexican cuisine. The poblano is a mild chili.

7 Hyatt alternative : OMNI

Omni Hotels & Resorts is headquartered in Irvine, California and has properties in the US, Canada and Mexico.

8 Mecca pilgrimage : HAJ

Mecca is in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia. It was the birthplace of Muhammad and is the holiest city in Islam. Every year several million Muslims perform the Hajj, a holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

10 Harold who directed “Caddyshack” : RAMIS

Harold Ramis was a real all-rounder; a very successful actor, director and writer. Indeed, in both “Ghostbusters” and “Stripes” he was a co-writer as well as playing a lead character. Ramis worked as writer-director on “Caddyshack”, “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, “Groundhog Day” and “Analyze This”.

14 Goads : EGGS ON

The verb “to edge” has been used to mean to incite, to urge on, from the 16th century. Somewhere along the way “edge” was mistakenly replaced with “egg”, giving us our term “to egg on” meaning “to goad”.

18 Company that makes Bug B Gon : ORTHO

Ortho is a brand of weed killer owned by Scotts Miracle-Gro.

24 Member of the largest Rwandan ethnic group : HUTU

The Hutu are the largest population in Rwanda, with the Tutsi being the second largest. The bloody conflict that has existed between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples dates back to about 1880 when Catholic missionaries arrived in the region. The missionaries found that they had more success converting the Hutus than the Tutsi, and when the Germans occupied the area during WWI they confiscated Tutsi land and gave it to Hutu tribes in order to reward religious conversion. This injustice fuels fighting to this very day.

25 A folder is needed for this : ORIGAMI

Origami is the traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. The best-known example of the craft is the paper crane. The word “origami” is derived from “ori“ (folding) and “kami” (paper).

29 Stage comebacks? : ENCORES

“Encore” is French for “again, one more time”, and is a shout that an audience member will make here in North America to request perhaps another song. But, the term is not used this way in France. Rather, the audience will shout “Bis!”, which is the Italian for “twice!”

35 Org. for physicians : AMA

American Medical Association (AMA)

38 How some exciting N.B.A. games are won : IN OT

In overtime (in OT)

40 Avocado dip, informally : GUAC

Guacamole is one of my favorite dishes. It is prepared by mashing avocados and perhaps adding the likes of tomato, onion and lime juice. The guacamole recipe dates back as early as the 16th century, to the time of the Aztecs. “Guacamole” translates as “avocado sauce”.

43 Noted British racecourse : ASCOT

Ascot Racecourse is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and is located in the town of Ascot, Berkshire in England. The course is located just six miles from Windsor Castle, and is often visited by members of the royal family. Royal Ascot is the name given to the most famous race meeting in the year, at which members of the royal family attend each day, arriving in horse-drawn carriages amidst great ceremony.

49 Ancient Peruvians : INCAS

The Inca people emerged as a tribe around the 12th century, in what today is southern Peru. The Incas developed a vast empire over the next 300 years, extending along most of the western side of South America. The Empire fell to the Spanish, finally dissolving in 1572 with the execution of Tupac Amaru, the last Incan Emperor.

51 Staples Center, for one : ARENA

The Staples Center is a sports arena in Los Angeles that opened in 1999. The Staples Center is home to several sporting franchises, including the LA Lakers and LA Clippers basketball teams and the LA Kings hockey team.

53 Component of a drum kit : HI-HAT

In a drum kit, a hi-hat is a pairing of cymbals that sits on a stand and is played by using a foot pedal. The top cymbal is raised and lowered by the foot, hence creating a crashing sound.

55 “Give me five!” : UP TOP!

The celebratory gesture that we call a “high five” is said to have been invented by former baseball players Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke when they were both playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the late 1970s.

58 Corn syrup brand : KARO

Karo is a brand of corn syrup. It is an industrially-manufactured sweetener derived from corn.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Place to get a mud bath : SPA
4 “Got it now!” : AHA!
7 Airport about 13 miles from the Loop : O’HARE
12 Perfect scores for divers : TENS
14 “Good heavens!” : EGAD!
15 Polite palindromic term of address : MADAM
16 Spice holder : RACK
17 *Arthur Carlson portrayer on “WKRP in Cincinnati” : GORDON JUMP
19 Ancient Chinese book of divination : I CHING
21 Prefix with angle or cycle : TRI-
22 Extremely fun, as a party : LIT
23 *Job for a model : PHOTO SHOOT
26 Website for some custom-designed jewelry : ETSY
27 Use steel wool on : SCOUR
28 Hacks with an axe : HEWS
30 Pro-___ (some golf tourneys) : AMS
33 Dead set against : ANTI
34 Street sign with an arrow : ONE WAY
37 Country between Togo and Nigeria : BENIN
39 Sheepskin boot brand : UGG
41 Assault or kidnapping : CRIME
42 Producer Rhimes who created “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” : SHONDA
44 Coupe or sedan : AUTO
46 National park freebie : MAP
47 Showers with flowers and chocolates, maybe : WOOS
48 Native New Zealander : MAORI
50 Inflatable transport : RAFT
52 *2000 stop-motion animated comedy hit : CHICKEN RUN
57 Deep anger : IRE
58 Colorful pond fish : KOI
59 Bust out of jail : ESCAPE
60 Summer Olympics contest whose participants do the ends of the answers to the starred clues : PENTATHLON
64 Sugar bowl invaders : ANTS
65 Acquire, as debts : INCUR
66 Helps : AIDS
67 Traditional wearer of plaid : SCOT
68 Fitness program popularized in the 1990s : TAE BO
69 Bit of clothing often worn with shorts : TEE
70 DeskJet printers and others : HPS

Down

1 Peel off : STRIP
2 Popular cobbler fruit : PEACH
3 Dried chili in Mexican food : ANCHO
4 In the past : AGO
5 Belly laugh syllable : HAR
6 Toss in : ADD TO
7 Hyatt alternative : OMNI
8 Mecca pilgrimage : HAJ
9 *Late-night Cartoon Network programming block : ADULT SWIM
10 Harold who directed “Caddyshack” : RAMIS
11 Opposite of full : EMPTY
13 Comic sketches : SKITS
14 Goads : EGGS ON
18 Company that makes Bug B Gon : ORTHO
20 “Sorry, pal” : NO CAN DO
24 Member of the largest Rwandan ethnic group : HUTU
25 A folder is needed for this : ORIGAMI
26 Still-life vessel : EWER
29 Stage comebacks? : ENCORES
30 Muscles strengthened by belly dancing, for short : ABS
31 “I’m not impressed” : MEH
32 *Winter barrier : SNOW FENCE
35 Org. for physicians : AMA
36 “Uh-huh” : YEP
38 How some exciting N.B.A. games are won : IN OT
40 Avocado dip, informally : GUAC
43 Noted British racecourse : ASCOT
45 Substitutes for coins : TOKENS
49 Ancient Peruvians : INCAS
50 Hit the ball out of the park : RIP IT
51 Staples Center, for one : ARENA
53 Component of a drum kit : HI-HAT
54 Cowhands’ home : RANCH
55 “Give me five!” : UP TOP!
56 Tree houses : NESTS
58 Corn syrup brand : KARO
61 Soaking spot : TUB
62 Make up a cover story, say : LIE
63 Laudatory poem : ODE