0908-19 NY Times Crossword 8 Sep 19, Sunday

Constructed by: Joe DiPietro
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Well, Well, Well, If It Isn’t

Themed answers are common phrases or words parsed as if they are nicknames of a person defined in the clue:

  • 23A … the guy who vows to take his Stetson to the grave : BURY-THE-HAT CHET (from “bury the hatchet”)
  • 33A … the fraternity guy who wants to be a cardiologist : HEART-BRO KEN (from “heartbroken”)
  • 51A … the guy who barely shows he’s exasperated : SHORT-SIGH TED (from “shortsighted”)
  • 56A … the guy who always shows up unannounced : POP-IN JAY (from “popinjay)
  • 70A … the gal who delivered the greatest put-down ever : WHAT-A-DIS GRACE (from “what a disgrace”)
  • 86A … the guy who takes aerial photos for the military : DRONE DON (from “droned on”)
  • 91A … the gal who loses it when pass plays are called : GROUND-NUT MEG (from “ground nutmeg”)
  • 108A … the gal who spends all day at the hairdresser : ROLLERS KATE (from “rollerskate”)
  • 121A … the guy who can’t stop bragging about Bragg : FORT-LAUDER DALE

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

Bill’s time: 20m 54s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Longhair cats : ANGORAS

The Turkish Angora is a breed of domestic cat that is often called simply an Angora or Ankara cat. The Angora is particularly prized for its white coat, although the breed can come in a variety of colors.

20 Alternative to Martha Stewart Weddings : BRIDES

“Brides” is a monthly magazine that was first published way back in 1934. The mission of the magazine is to provide resources for brides planning a wedding.

21 Caribbean island nation : GRENADA

Grenada is an island nation in the British Commonwealth (or Commonwealth Realm, as it now called). When President Reagan ordered the invasion of Grenada in 1983, after a pro-communist coup, the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and her government were not amused …

23 … the guy who vows to take his Stetson to the grave : BURY-THE-HAT CHET (from “bury the hatchet”)

Stetson is a brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. The so called “cowboy hat” that Stetson pioneered was such a success that the company became the largest hat maker in the world, producing over 3.3 million hats per year.

The phrase “to bury the hatchet” means “to settle a disagreement”. The expression has its roots in a Native American peacekeeping custom involving the literal burial of two hatchets to signify a peace agreement.

25 Baby Gap purchase : ONESIE

A onesie is a baby’s one-piece bodysuit, and is a common gift at a baby shower.

26 Famous conjoined twin : ENG

Siamese twins are identical twins who are conjoined. Famously, the conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker traveled with P.T. Barnum’s circus in the last half of the 19th century. The Bunker twins were billed as the Siamese Twins as they were born in Siam, which is now Thailand. This led to the condition being called “Siamese twins”.

28 California’s Big ___ : SUR

Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.

32 IV checkers : RNS

A registered nurse (RN) might administer an intravenous drip (IV).

45 First word of “Jabberwocky” : ‘TWAS

Here are the first two verses of “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, probably the one poem that we all just loved learning to recite at school

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

47 Dated PC hookup : CRT

Cathode ray tube (CRT)

49 J. Carrol ___ (two-time 1940s Oscar nominee) : NAISH

J. Carrol Naish was an actor from New York, known for playing supporting roles in many films as well as playing the title role on the radio show “Life with Luigi” in the late forties and early fifties. “Life with Luigi” was even more popular than Bob Hope’s regular broadcasts!

50 Traffic-stopping grp.? : DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was set up in 1973 while President Nixon was in office.

56 … the guy who always shows up unannounced : POP-IN JAY (from “popinjay)

Back in the 12th century a popinjay was a colorful parrot. By the 14th century the word “popinjay” was being applied to people who were considered beautiful, but by the mid-16th century the term applied to people who were vain and talkative.

58 Hugs, in a letter : OOO

In the sequence letter sequence “XOX”, the X represents a kiss, and the O a hug. “OOO” is a string of hugs, and “XXX” a string of kisses. Hugs and kisses …

63 Show that NBC 62-Across, for short : SNL
(62A Puts on TV : AIRS)

NBC first aired a form of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 1975 under the title “NBC’s Saturday Night”. The show was actually created to give Johnny Carson some time off from “The Tonight Show”. Back then “The Tonight Show” had a weekend episode, and Carson convinced NBC to pull the Saturday or Sunday recordings off the air and hold them for subsequent weeknights in which Carson needed a break. NBC turned to Lorne Michaels and asked him to put together a variety show to fill the vacant slot, and he came up with what we now call “Saturday Night Live”.

64 Heaps : A SLEW

Our usage of “slew” to mean “large number” has nothing to do with the verb “to slew” meaning “to turn, skid”. The noun “slew” came into English in the early 1800s from the Irish word “sluagh” meaning “host, crowd, multitude”.

66 They follow springs by about a week : NEAPS

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. At neap tide, the smaller gravitational effect of the sun cancels out some of the moon’s effect. At spring tide, the sun and the moon’s gravitational forces act in concert causing more extreme movement of the oceans.

69 Sylvia of jazz : SYMS

Sylvia Syms was a jazz singer from New York. Frank Sinatra called Syms the “world’s greatest saloon singer”, and gave her the nickname “Buddha”. Syms actually died on stage, suffering a heart attack at the age of 74.

70 … the gal who delivered the greatest put-down ever : WHAT-A-DIS GRACE (from “what a disgrace”)

“Dis” (also “diss”) is a slang term meaning “insult” that originated in the eighties. It is a shortened form of “disrespect” or “dismiss”.

73 Small prevarications : FIBS

To fib is to tell a lie. The verb likely comes from “fibble-fable” meaning “nonsense”, with “fibble-fable” coming from “fable”.

“To prevaricate” is to stray from the truth. The term comes from a Church Latin word meaning “walk crookedly”.

76 Helicopter sounds : WHIRS

Our term “helicopter” was absorbed from the French word “hélicoptère” that was coined by Gustave Ponton d’Amécourt in 1861. d’Amécourt envisioned aircraft that could fly vertically using rotating wings that “screwed” into the air. He combined the Greek terms “helix” meaning “spiral, whirl” and “pteron” meaning “wing” to give us “helicopter”.

77 Permanent spot? : SALON

“Perm” is the common name given to a permanent wave, a chemical or thermal treatment of hair to produce waves or curls.

78 UPS unit: Abbr. : CTN

United Parcel Service (UPS) is based in Sandy Springs, Georgia and has its own airline that operates out of Louisville, Kentucky. UPS often goes by the nickname “Brown”, because of its brown delivery trucks and brown uniforms.

81 “Othello” provocateur : IAGO

Iago is the schemer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. He is a soldier who fought alongside Othello and feels hard done by, missing out on promotion. Iago hatches a plot designed to discredit his rival Cassio by insinuating that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, Othello’s wife.

82 “Lethal Weapon” force, in brief : LAPD

The “Lethal Weapon” series of film features Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the lead roles as Sergeants Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner.

91 … the gal who loses it when pass plays are called : GROUND-NUT MEG (from “ground nutmeg”)

That would be football.

The fruit of the nutmeg tree yields two very different spices. What we call “nutmeg” comes from the seed of the tree. “Mace” is the dried covering of the seed.

94 CPR teacher, maybe : EMT

An emergency medical technician (EMT) might administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

95 Temporarily sated, with “over” : TIDED …

Something is said “to tide one over” if it (often money) will see one through a rough patch. The idea behind the expression is that a swelling tide can carry you over an obstacle without effort on your part, as perhaps a reserve fund might keep the lenders from your door. The use of “tide” in this sense might come from some famous lines spoken by Brutus in “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare

There is a Tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the Flood, leads on to Fortune

97 Critical campaign mo. : OCT

“October surprise” is a political term. It refers to some unexpected piece of news that breaks in the month of October in a year just before an election, particularly a presidential election. The term tends to be used somewhat cynically, with the implication that the “surprise” is perhaps engineered to favor one candidate or another.

102 Singer with the 2009 #1 hit “TiK ToK” : KESHA

“Kesha” (formerly “Ke$ha”) is the stage name used by singer Kesha Rose Sebert.

112 Word with club or cream : … SODA

We call carbonated water “club soda”, because Club Soda used to be a brand name. The Club brand of drinks is actually Irish, owned by a company now known as C&C. As kids, we grew up on Club Orange and Club Lemon. Club Soda, not so much …

113 Aristocratic Italian name of old : ESTE

The House of Este is a princely dynasty in Europe. The House of Hanover that ruled Britain from 1714 to 1901 (when Queen Victoria died) was perhaps the most notable branch of the House of Este. The House takes its name from the town of Este in the province of Padua in northern Italy.

114 Cartoonist Keane : BIL

Bil Keane was a cartoonist most associated with his strip “The Family Circus”. Once Bil sketched out the text and idea for the cartoon, he used to send it off to his son Jeff Keane who inked and colored the pictures for him in preparation for publication. In the storyline itself, the main characters are based on Bil’s own family. In fact, the son “Jeffy” in the story is based on Jeff, Bil’s son and longtime production assistant. After Bil passed away in 2011, Jeff took over as the author of the strip.

115 Dance that might include a chair : HORA

The hora is a circle dance that originated in the Balkans. It was brought to Israel by Romanian settlers, and is often performed to traditional, Israeli folk songs. The hora (also horah) is a regular sight at Jewish weddings. Sometimes the honoree at an event is raised on a chair during the hora.

117 West Coast summer setting: Abbr. : PDT

Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

118 Dag Hammarskjöld’s successor at the U.N. : U THANT

U Thant was a diplomat from Burma who served as the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, taking over from Dag Hammarskjöld. In Burmese, he was known as Pantanaw U Thant. The “U” is an honorific in Burmese, simply the equivalent of “Mr.” in English.

Dag Hammarskjöld was the second secretary-general of the United Nations, right up until his death in a plane crash in Rhodesia in 1961. The crash was considered suspicious at the time as the bodyguards were found to have bullet wounds when they died, but this was put down to bullets exploding in the fire after the crash.

121 … the guy who can’t stop bragging about Bragg : FORT-LAUDER DALE

Fort Bragg in North Carolina is a very large army installation that covers over 250 square miles. The base is named for General Braxton Bragg, the native North Carolinian who commanded the Confederate Army forces during the Civil War.

125 Bit of trail mix : RAISIN

“Raisin” is the French word for “grape”. The French for “raisin” is “raisin sec”, which translates literally as “dried grape”.

126 Underlining alternative : ITALICS

Italic type leans to the right, and is often used to provide emphasis in text. The style is known as “italic” because the stylized calligraphic form of writing originated in Italy, probably in the Vatican.

129 Exams given intradermally, for short : TB TESTS

The Mantoux test is a skin test used to screen for tuberculosis (TB). The test is named for French physician Charles Mantoux who developed it in 1907. The procedure involves the injection of a small amount of tuberculin into the skin to check for an immune response. Tuberculin is a protein that is extracted from the outer membrane of the bacterium that causes TB.

Down

4 Ice cream eponym : EDY

Dreyers’ ice cream sells its products under the name Dreyers in the Western United States, and Edy’s in the Eastern states. The company’s founders were William Dreyer and Joseph Edy.

5 Part of AARP: Abbr. : RETD

“AARP” is now the official name for the interest group that used to be called the American Association of Retired Persons. The name change reflects the current focus of the group on all Americans aged 50 or over, as opposed to just people who have retired.

8 Big D.C. lobby : NRA

National Rifle Association (NRA)

9 1995 crime film based on an Elmore Leonard novel : GET SHORTY

“Get Shorty” is a 1995 crime-comedy with a great cast that includes John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito. That said, the storyline is a little too zany for me so I didn’t really enjoy it …

Elmore Leonard used to write a lot of westerns in the fifties and moved onto crime and suspense novels later in his career. A lot of his books have made it to the big screen, including “Get Shorty” and “Mr Majestyk”.

12 Commercial suffix with Gator : -ADE

Gatorade was developed at the University of Florida by a team of researchers at the request of the school’s football team. And so, Gatorade is named after the Gators football team.

14 ___ Paulo : SAO

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It is also the city with the highest number of helicopters in the world. This is partly driven by the horrendous traffic jams in São Paulo, but also by the wealthy having a very real fear of being kidnapped on the city’s streets.

17 “Star Trek” catchphrase said by Dr. McCoy : HE’S DEAD, JIM

Actor DeForest Kelley is best known for playing Bones McCoy in the original “Star Trek” cast. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, originally offered Kelley the role of Spock, but Kelly refused it and so was given the part of the ship’s medical officer.

24 Sicily’s Mount ___ : ETNA

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily is the largest of three active volcanoes in Italy, and indeed the largest of all active volcano in Europe. Etna is about 2 1/2 times the height of its equally famous sister, Mt. Vesuvius. Mt. Etna is home to a 110-km long narrow-gauge railway, and two ski resorts. It is sometimes referred to as “Mongibello” in Italian, and as “Mungibeddu” in Sicilian. The English name “Etna” comes from the Greek “aitho” meaning “I eat”.

36 Con ___ (briskly, in music) : BRIO

“Brio” is borrowed from Italian, in which language the term means “vigor and vivacity”. “Con brio” is a musical direction often found on a score, instructing the musicians to play “with energy, vigor”.

41 Dieter’s “I” : ICH

“Dieter” is a German male’s name, and is a shortened version of “Dietrich”.

51 Sea plea : SOS

The combination of three dots – three dashes – three dots, is a Morse signal first introduced by the German government as a standard distress call in 1905. The sequence is remembered as the letters SOS (three dots – pause – three dashes – pause – three dots). That said, in the emergency signal there is no pause between the dots and dashes, so “SOS” is really only a mnemonic. Similarly, the phrases “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” are also mnemonics that were introduced after the SOS signal was adopted.

52 Period of group activity, slangily : SESH

Session (abbreviated to “sess.” formally, and “sesh” informally)

55 Diamond brackets? : DEES

There are letters D (dees) at either end of the word “diamond”.

67 Large shrimp : PRAWN

The terms “prawn” and “shrimp” are often used interchangeably on menus. Over in the UK, the term “prawn” is most common, while “shrimp” is seen more often here in North America. Sometimes there is a differentiation from a food standpoint, with “prawn” being used for larger species and “shrimp” for smaller species. As a result, “jumbo prawns” seems to be an acceptable descriptor for a dish, whereas “jumbo shrimp” seems to be an oxymoron.

71 Pride Parade participants may be in it : DRAG

The etymology of the term “drag”, as used in the transvestite world, seems to be unclear. It perhaps relates to the tendency of a transvestite’s skirts to drag along the ground in days of old (although why they just didn’t hitch up their skirts is beyond me!).

The first gay pride parades were held all on the same weekend in 1970, in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

75 ___ vivant : BON

A bon vivant (plural “bons vivants”) is a person who enjoys the best of food and drink, a person with very refined tastes. The term is French, coming from “good living” in that language.

79 Father of Enigma in DC Comics : THE RIDDLER

The Riddler is a supervillain from the Batman universe. He first appeared in “Detective Comics” in 1948. The Riddler’s real name is Edward Nigma, who became obsessed with solving puzzles and winning prizes by cheating at school. He uses his puzzle-solving skills to cheat customers at a carnival, and eventually dons the guise of the Riddler to take on Batman.

80 Creamy beverage : NOG

It’s not really clear where the term “nog” (as in “eggnog”) comes from although it might derive from the word “noggin”, which was originally a small wooden cup that was long associated with alcoholic drinks.

81 Tagged, informally : ID’ED

Identity document (ID)

83 Pitcher who famously claimed he was on LSD while throwing a no-hitter (1970) : DOCK ELLIS

Dock Ellis was a pitcher who played in the Majors from 1968 to 1979. Famously, Ellis pitched a no-hitter in 1970 and later claimed to have done so under the influence of the drug LSD.

88 Kind of bar : DIVE

We’ve been using the word “dive” in American English for a run-down bar since the latter half of the 19th century. The term comes from the fact that disreputable taverns were usually located in basements, so one had to literally and figuratively dive into them.

92 Sport ___ : UTE

A utility vehicle is often called a “ute” for short. Nowadays one mainly hears about sport-utes and crossover-utes.

93 “Ocean’s Twelve” role : TESS

“Ocean’s 11” is a great film from 1960, starring Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean. The original storyline is updated for the excellent 2001 remake, with George Clooney playing the lead. In the 1960 movie, the love interest is a character called Beatrice Ocean, played by Angie Dickinson. In the 2001 version, the love interest gets a new name, Tess Ocean, and is played by Julia Roberts. The 2001 remake (titled “Ocean’s Eleven”, note the spelling) spawned two sequels: “Ocean’s Twelve” in 2004 and “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007.

96 ___ Terr., 1861-89 : DAK

The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861 and ceased to exist with the admission to the Union of the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was split into two states in 1889 largely due to lobbying by the Republican Party, which enjoyed a lot of support in the Dakota Territory. The admission of two states added to the political power of the party in the US Senate, by adding four safe Republican seats.

103 Go downhill in a hurry : SCHUSS

A schuss is a very fast run downhill in skiing, one with no turns taken to slow the pace of the descent. “Schuss” is a German word for “shot”.

104 Part of a parka : HOOD

A parka is a hooded jacket that is often lined with fur, and that is worn in cold weather. The original parka was a pullover design, but nowadays it is usually zipped at the front. “Parka” is the Russian name for the garment, and it was absorbed into English in the late 1700s via the Aleut language.

119 Shoot down : NIX

The use of “to nix” as a verb, meaning “to shoot down”, dates back to the early 1900s. Before that, “nix” was just a noun meaning “nothing”. “Nix” comes from the German “nichts”, which also means “nothing”.

120 Wile E. Coyote purchase : TNT

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; definitely one of the best …

122 Gambling parlor letters : OTB

Off-track betting (OTB) is the legal gambling that takes place on horse races outside of a race track. A betting parlor can be referred to as an OTB.

124 Sort of person who’s blue: Abbr. : DEM

On political maps, red states are usually Republican and blue states usually Democrat. The designation of red and blue states is a very recent concept, only introduced in the 2000 presidential election by TV journalist, the late Tim Russert. In retrospect, the choice of colors is surprising, as in other democracies around the world red is usually used to describe left-leaning socialist parties (the reds under the bed!), and blue is used for conservative right-wing parties. In election cycles, swing/battleground states are often depicted in purple.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Well, for one : ADVERB
7 Longhair cats : ANGORAS
14 For instance : SUCH AS
20 Alternative to Martha Stewart Weddings : BRIDES
21 Caribbean island nation : GRENADA
22 Take in : ARREST
23 … the guy who vows to take his Stetson to the grave : BURY-THE-HAT CHET (from “bury the hatchet”)
25 Baby Gap purchase : ONESIE
26 Famous conjoined twin : ENG
27 Figures : DATA
28 California’s Big ___ : SUR
29 TV’s “___ Ruins Everything” : ADAM
30 Lose control on the road : SKID
32 IV checkers : RNS
33 … the fraternity guy who wants to be a cardiologist : HEART-BRO KEN (from “heartbroken”)
39 Levelheaded : SANE
40 Kind of furniture : PATIO
42 Triumphant cry : HURRAH!
43 Game lover’s purchase : APP
45 First word of “Jabberwocky” : ‘TWAS
47 Dated PC hookup : CRT
49 J. Carrol ___ (two-time 1940s Oscar nominee) : NAISH
50 Traffic-stopping grp.? : DEA
51 … the guy who barely shows he’s exasperated : SHORT-SIGH TED (from “shortsighted”)
56 … the guy who always shows up unannounced : POP-IN JAY (from “popinjay)
58 Hugs, in a letter : OOO
59 Home of minor-league baseball’s Aces : RENO
60 California’s Santa ___ Mountains : YNEZ
62 Puts on TV : AIRS
63 Show that NBC 62-Across, for short : SNL
64 Heaps : A SLEW
66 They follow springs by about a week : NEAPS
69 Sylvia of jazz : SYMS
70 … the gal who delivered the greatest put-down ever : WHAT-A-DIS GRACE (from “what a disgrace”)
73 Small prevarications : FIBS
76 Helicopter sounds : WHIRS
77 Permanent spot? : SALON
78 UPS unit: Abbr. : CTN
81 “Othello” provocateur : IAGO
82 “Lethal Weapon” force, in brief : LAPD
84 Prison division : WARD
85 “Well, well, well, whaddya know” : OHO
86 … the guy who takes aerial photos for the military : DRONE DON (from “droned on”)
91 … the gal who loses it when pass plays are called : GROUND-NUT MEG (from “ground nutmeg”)
94 CPR teacher, maybe : EMT
95 Temporarily sated, with “over” : TIDED …
97 Critical campaign mo. : OCT
98 Source of some pressure : PEER
99 Place for trophies : DEN
100 Declaration : AVOWAL
102 Singer with the 2009 #1 hit “TiK ToK” : KESHA
106 Move a bit : STIR
108 … the gal who spends all day at the hairdresser : ROLLERS KATE (from “rollerskate”)
111 Rollaway : COT
112 Word with club or cream : … SODA
113 Aristocratic Italian name of old : ESTE
114 Cartoonist Keane : BIL
115 Dance that might include a chair : HORA
117 West Coast summer setting: Abbr. : PDT
118 Dag Hammarskjöld’s successor at the U.N. : U THANT
121 … the guy who can’t stop bragging about Bragg : FORT-LAUDER DALE
125 Bit of trail mix : RAISIN
126 Underlining alternative : ITALICS
127 Creeped out? : SEEPED
128 Almost up : ON NEXT
129 Exams given intradermally, for short : TB TESTS
130 Actress Taylor of “Bones” : TAMARA

Down

1 Number one nun : ABBESS
2 Prolonged period of excessive imbibing : DRUNKATHON
3 Soft blanket material : VIRGIN WOOL
4 Ice cream eponym : EDY
5 Part of AARP: Abbr. : RETD
6 Note that sounds like an order to get with it? : B-SHARP
7 Appalled : AGHAST
8 Big D.C. lobby : NRA
9 1995 crime film based on an Elmore Leonard novel : GET SHORTY
10 At the perfect time : ON CUE
11 Enthusiastic : RAH-RAH
12 Commercial suffix with Gator : -ADE
13 Gained a lap? : SAT
14 ___ Paulo : SAO
15 Bit of art pottery : URN
16 Staircase sound : CREAK
17 “Star Trek” catchphrase said by Dr. McCoy : HE’S DEAD, JIM
18 Far Eastern fruits that resemble apples : ASIAN PEARS
19 What a prefix or suffix gets added to : STEM
24 Sicily’s Mount ___ : ETNA
31 Honey substitute? : DEAR
34 Appear in print : RUN
35 Mouth, slangily : TRAP
36 Con ___ (briskly, in music) : BRIO
37 Talk like a tough, say : RASP
38 “Well, howdy” : OH, HI
41 Dieter’s “I” : ICH
44 Picks up the bill : PAYS
46 Unlikely handouts with beers : STRAWS
48 Court V.I.P. : TENNIS PRO
51 Sea plea : SOS
52 Period of group activity, slangily : SESH
53 Addition to the family : IN-LAW
54 Doth depart : GOETH
55 Diamond brackets? : DEES
57 Dissenting vote : NAY
61 Swerves back : ZAGS
65 Cry like a baby : WAIL
67 Large shrimp : PRAWN
68 See 72-Down : … SALAD
69 Parody : SEND UP
71 Pride Parade participants may be in it : DRAG
72 With 68-Down, summer side dish : CORN …
73 Shade for a field worker? : FARMER’S TAN
74 “Drawin’ a blank here” : I GOT NOTHIN’
75 ___ vivant : BON
78 Gambler’s exclamation : COME TO PAPA!
79 Father of Enigma in DC Comics : THE RIDDLER
80 Creamy beverage : NOG
81 Tagged, informally : ID’ED
83 Pitcher who famously claimed he was on LSD while throwing a no-hitter (1970) : DOCK ELLIS
87 And others, for short : ET AL
88 Kind of bar : DIVE
89 Renuzit target : ODOR
90 It can be old or breaking : NEWS
92 Sport ___ : UTE
93 “Ocean’s Twelve” role : TESS
96 ___ Terr., 1861-89 : DAK
101 Maze explorer : LAB RAT
103 Go downhill in a hurry : SCHUSS
104 Part of a parka : HOOD
105 Relaxing : AT REST
107 High-grade : RATED-A
109 Auto dealer’s offer : LEASE
110 Auto owner’s proof : TITLE
113 Tip of Italy? : EURO
116 Field : AREA
119 Shoot down : NIX
120 Wile E. Coyote purchase : TNT
121 In good shape : FIT
122 Gambling parlor letters : OTB
123 Take steps : ACT
124 Sort of person who’s blue: Abbr. : DEM

7 thoughts on “0908-19 NY Times Crossword 8 Sep 19, Sunday”

  1. 47:07. Tough but I did find the theme answers amusing. I wonder how THE RIDDLER would have done doing crosswords?

    Best –

  2. 1:47, that’s hours and minutes… fortunately it’s Monday and nobody will see this embarrassment of a time. Even the blog was embarrassed for me, since the first attempt at a reply also failed…

  3. One hour and 44 min with one error….I was sure abbess was spelled abbyss….WRONG….to put that much time in on this puzzle and come up one short……..UGG

  4. 42:23, 2 errors: DOC(N)ELLIS/(N)ESHA. Frustrating, in that I originally entered the K, but thought DOC NELLIS made more sense than DOCK ELLIS. KESHA was a complete unknown to me. Modern Pop culture is just one of my glaring weaknesses.

    I don’t know if @DuncanR comes back to review the syndicated comments, but finishing a puzzle like today’s, with no errors, is no embarrassment, no matter how long it takes.

  5. 58:13, 6 errors. Another sleepy boring slog filled with poorly communicated cluing I have to guess what the constructor means on and nonsensical phrasing. Bleh.

  6. Print version theme in the St. Paul paper was simply ‘Well, Well,Well,”
    without the “If It Isn’t.” Was able to finish WNE without the help of a
    partial and thus cryptic theme. Clever enough but not tons of fun.

Comments are closed.