1004-19 NY Times Crossword 4 Oct 19, Friday

Constructed by: Matthew Sewell
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: None

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

Bill’s time: 19m 45s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

20 Wild troublemaker : HELLION

A hellion is a mischievous and wild person. “Hellion” is a North American term, one probably derived for the word that we use for the same thing on the other side of the Atlantic, namely “hallion”.

27 Paradigms : IDEALS

We tend to use “paradigm” to mean the set of assumptions and practices that define some aspect of life. It can also simply mean something that serves as a model, pattern or example. “Paradigm” ultimately comes from the Greek word for “show side by side”.

28 One sense : SMELL

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, and scientists tell us that it is 10,000 to 100,000 more acute than human olfactory capability. We have about 6 million olfactory receptors in our noses, compared to about 300 million in the nose of a dog. When we breathe in through our noses, all of that air goes straight to the lungs for respiration. In dogs, about 12% of inspired air is directed to a part of the nose that is dedicated to the sense of smell.

34 Part of a dim sum meal : TEA

Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine made up of small portions of various dishes. The tradition of serving dim sum is associated with the serving of tea, when small delicacies were offered to travelers and guests along with tea as a refreshment. The name “dim sum” translates as “touch the heart” implying that dim sum is not a main meal, just a snack “that touches the heart”.

35 Professorial : ERUDITE

“Erudite” is a lovely-sounding word meaning “learned, well-educated”. The term comes from the Latin verb “erudire” meaning “to educate”, or more literally “to bring out of the rough”.

36 Clothing : RAIMENT

Raiment is clothing, those items “arrayed” on one’s body.

41 It may hang from a chain : ID TAG

Identity document (ID)

44 Polish and polish, e.g. : HETERONYMS

Heteronyms are words that have the same spelling, but different meanings and different pronunciations. Examples are “lead” (the metal) and “lead” (a leash), as well as “close” (near) and “close” (shut).

47 Polish dish : PIEROGI

Pierogi are stuffed dumplings made using unleavened dough, and are a traditional dish from Poland. The term “pierogi” is the Polish name for any filled dumplings.

53 Forest Service’s agcy. : USDA

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dates back to 1862, when it was established by then-president Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln referred to the USDA as the “people’s department” as our economy had such a vast agrarian base back then.

54 Natural moisturizer in some cosmetics : AVOCADO OIL

The wonderful avocado comes from a tree that is native to Mexico and Central America. The avocado fruit is sometimes called an avocado pear, because of its shape, even though it is not related to the pear at all. The fruit might also be referred to as an alligator pear, due to the roughness of the green skin of some avocado cultivars.

62 Sirius, for one : STAR SYSTEM

When you look up at the night sky, the brightest star you can see is Sirius. Sirius appears so bright to us because it is relatively close to the Earth. Sirius is commonly known as the “Dog Star” because it can be seen in the constellation Canis Major, the “Big Dog”.

Down

1 Gin fizz ingredient : SODA

By definition, a cocktail known as a “fizz” includes lemon or lime juice and carbonated water. The most popular of the genre is the gin fizz, made from 3 parts gin, 2 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar syrup and 5 parts soda water. There is also a variant known as a sloe gin fizz.

2 Bail : QUIT

The phrase “to bail out” (sometimes just “to bail”) means to leave suddenly. We’ve been using the term since the early thirties, when it originated with airline pilots. To bail out is to make a parachute jump.

3 Alternative media magazine, informally : UTNE

The “Utne Reader” is known for aggregation and republishing of articles on politics, culture and the environment from other sources in the media. The “Utne Reader” was founded in 1984 by Eric Utne, with management taken over by Eric’s wife Nina Rothschild Utne in 1990.

6 Warsaw Pact member west of Poland, for short : GDR

The former East Germany was known officially as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR).

7 Where “♥” has appeared since 2011, in brief : OED

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

8 Legislative landmark of ’10 : ACA

The correct name for what has been dubbed “Obamacare” is the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

10 Drive … or part of a drive : STEER

A steer is a male bovine that was castrated when young and is then raised for beef. The term comes from the Old English “steor” meaning “bullock”.

11 Peace in the Mideast : SHALOM

“Shalom” is a Hebrew word meaning “peace” that is also used to mean “hello” and “goodbye”.

12 They run while you ride : TAXIMETERS

We call cabs “taxis”, a word derived from “taximeter cabs” that were introduced in London in 1907. A taximeter was an automated meter designed to record distance travelled and fare to be charged. The term “taximeter” evolved from “taxameter”, with “taxa” being Latin for “tax, charge”.

13 City where “Peer Gynt” premiered : OSLO

Henrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt” is based on a Scandinavian fairy tale “Per Gynt”. The incidental music to the play, written by Edvard Grieg, is some of the most approachable classical music ever written, at least in my humble opinion …

24 Division of a poem : CANTO

A canto is a section of a long poem, and is a term first used by the Italian poet Dante. “Canto” is the Italian for “song”.

25 Director Irwin famous for disaster films : ALLEN

The TV and movie director Irwin Allen was known as “The Master of Disaster”, as he worked on so many disaster movies. The most famous of these were “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno”, both of which he produced.

26 Inflation fig. : PSI

Pounds per square inch (PSI) is a measure of pressure.

29 Part of the eye : LENS

The lens in the eye can change shape, and in so doing change its focal length. This change allows the eye to focus on objects at different distances. The shape of the lens alters due to the action of the eye’s ciliary muscles.

30 Exempli gratia, e.g.: Abbr. : LAT

Latin (Lat.)

The Latin “exempli gratia” means “for the sake of example”, and is a phrase we often use in English. “Exempli gratia” is almost always shortened to “e.g.”

37 Rainmakers? : MONSOONS

The term “monsoon” was first used in India in the days of the British Raj, when it described the seasonal winds that brought rain from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea from June to September. “Monsoon” is derived from the Portuguese “monção”, which in turn comes from the Arabic “mawsim” meaning “season”.

40 Spokeswoman in some insurance commercials : FLO

Progressive is a popular auto insurance company, the one that uses the perky character named “Flo” as a spokeswoman. Flo is played by comedian and actress Stephanie Courtney.

45 “Crikey!” : EGADS!

“Crikey” is an exclamation, and is probably a euphemism for “Christ”.

48 Spanish key : ISLA

In Spanish, an “isla” (island) is “tierra en el mar” (land in the sea).

A key (also “cay”) is a low offshore island, as in the Florida Keys. Our term in English comes from the Spanish “cayo” meaning “shoal, reef”.

52 He, but not she: Abbr. : ELEM

Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and the element symbol “He”. Helium is a gas, and lighter than air. It is the second-most abundant element in the universe (after hydrogen). Helium was first detected in 1868 as an unknown yellow spectral line during a solar eclipse. As such, the gas was named for “Helios”, the Greek god of the Sun.

55 ___ Mayor (Spanish constellation) : OSA

“Osa mayor” is the Spanish name for the constellation Ursa Major, in English “the Great Bear”.

56 Token in The Game of Life : CAR

The board game we call “The Game of Life” (also just “Life”) was created quite a few years ago, in 1869 by Milton Bradley. Back then it was called “The Checkered Game of Life” and was the first parlor game to become a popular hit. The modern version of the game was first released in 1960.

57 Hangout for the Fonz : AL’S

Much of the sitcom “Happy Days” was set in Arnold’s Drive-In. Arnold Takahashi was played by Pat Morita, who also played Mr Miyagi in the movie “The Karate Kid”. Morita left the show after three seasons, and was replaced by Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio, the character who ran the diner as “Al’s” for the rest of the series’ run.

Fonzie is a character in the sitcom “Happy Days” that was originally aired from 1974 to 1984. The Fonz (aka Arthur Fonzarelli) was written as a secondary character, but eventually took over the show. Fonzie is played by Henry Winkler.

58 Kind of home project, for short : DIY

Back in Ireland, we don’t have “hardware stores” as such, but rather “DIY centres” (and that’s the spelling of “centres”). “DIY” is an initialism standing for “do-it-yourself”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Aspirations for a group of friends : SQUAD GOALS
11 Put in a hold : STOW
15 Pet that makes frequent use of a door flap : OUTSIDE CAT
16 Jumble : HASH
17 Part of a romantic evening : DINNER DATE
18 Toll unit : AXLE
19 Do to ___ : A TEE
20 Wild troublemaker : HELLION
22 Activity for outgoing people? : ESCAPE ROOM
27 Paradigms : IDEALS
28 One sense : SMELL
31 O.K. : GREEN-LIGHT
34 Part of a dim sum meal : TEA
35 Professorial : ERUDITE
36 Clothing : RAIMENT
38 Something fabulous : LIE
39 They don’t come into play : NONFACTORS
41 It may hang from a chain : ID TAG
43 Compares (to) : LIKENS
44 Polish and polish, e.g. : HETERONYMS
47 Polish dish : PIEROGI
49 Ruthless sort : OGRE
53 Forest Service’s agcy. : USDA
54 Natural moisturizer in some cosmetics : AVOCADO OIL
59 Outright : FLAT
60 Make drinkable, in a way : DESALINATE
61 Actress Marsay of “Game of Thrones” : FAYE
62 Sirius, for one : STAR SYSTEM

Down

1 Gin fizz ingredient : SODA
2 Bail : QUIT
3 Alternative media magazine, informally : UTNE
4 Medical directive : AS NEEDED
5 Fizzle : DIE
6 Warsaw Pact member west of Poland, for short : GDR
7 Where “♥” has appeared since 2011, in brief : OED
8 Legislative landmark of ’10 : ACA
9 Shop spinner : LATHE
10 Drive … or part of a drive : STEER
11 Peace in the Mideast : SHALOM
12 They run while you ride : TAXIMETERS
13 City where “Peer Gynt” premiered : OSLO
14 “That’s enough” : WHEN!
21 Something that might be turned in to security : LOST ITEM
23 Handling : SEEING TO
24 Division of a poem : CANTO
25 Director Irwin famous for disaster films : ALLEN
26 Inflation fig. : PSI
27 Expression of regret : I RUE THE DAY!
29 Part of the eye : LENS
30 Exempli gratia, e.g.: Abbr. : LAT
31 Electrical ___ : GRID
32 Mill fill : GRAIN
33 Unoriginal, as a comedian : HACKY
35 “My God!,” in Hebrew : ELI
37 Rainmakers? : MONSOONS
40 Spokeswoman in some insurance commercials : FLO
42 Make bubbly : AERATE
45 “Crikey!” : EGADS!
46 Transfix : RIVET
47 What an out-of-shape person might do while exercising : PUFF
48 Spanish key : ISLA
50 Charge : GO AT
51 Church observance : RITE
52 He, but not she: Abbr. : ELEM
55 ___ Mayor (Spanish constellation) : OSA
56 Token in The Game of Life : CAR
57 Hangout for the Fonz : AL’S
58 Kind of home project, for short : DIY