1007-19 NY Times Crossword 7 Oct 19, Monday

Constructed by: Keiran King
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Square Roots

Themed answers are SQUARE ROOTS of that clue’s number. Indeed, the print version of the puzzle shows themed clue numbers surrounded by a SQUARE ROOT sign:

  • 60A Some Down answers in this puzzle : SQUARE ROOTS
  • √1D : ONE
  • √4D : TWO
  • √9D : THREE
  • √16D : FOUR
  • √25D : FIVE
  • √36D : SIX
  • √49D : SEVEN

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

Bill’s time: 4m 41s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 “___ Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” : SGT

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was the alter-ego of the Beatles, and the title of a famous studio album released in 1967.

10 Spring jauntily : PRANCE

Our words “jaunty” and “genteel” are related in that they both derive from the French “gentil” meaning “nice, pleasing”. In modern usage, someone described as jaunty has a buoyant air. Someone described as genteel is refined in manner.

17 Opposite of departure: Abbr. : ARR

Arrival (arr.)

18 Basketball one-pointers: Abbr. : FTS

Free throw (FT)

20 The “L” of N.F.L. : LEAGUE

The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the current name being adopted into 1923. The NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970.

22 Philosopher who wrote “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” : THOREAU

Henry David Thoreau is a personal hero of mine. Thoreau is best known for his book called “Walden” published in 1854. The book outlines his philosophy of life and details his experiences living in a cabin near Walden Pond just outside Concord, Massachusetts.

27 Filmmaker Rob : REINER

The great director and actor Rob Reiner first came to prominence playing “Meathead”, Archie and Edith Bunker’s son-in-law in “All in the Family”. Since then, Reiner has directed a long string of hit movies including, “The Princess Bride”, “Stand by Me”, “This Is Spinal Tap”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “Misery” and “A Few Good Men”.

37 Leaning Tower city : PISA

The city of Pisa sits right on the Italian coast, at the mouth of the River Arno. The city is perhaps most famous for its Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the campanile (bell tower) of the city’s cathedral, and it has been leaning since it was completed in 1173. Just shows you how important good foundations are …

40 iPhone voice : SIRI

Siri is a software application that works with Apple’s iOS operating system. “Siri” is an acronym standing for Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface. Voice-over artist Susan Bennett revealed herself as the female American voice of Siri a few years ago. The British version of Siri is called Daniel, and the Australian version is called Karen. Also, “Siri” is a Norwegian name meaning “beautiful woman who leads you to victory”, and was the name the developer had chosen for his first child.

41 Abbr. at the top of an office memo : ATTN

Attention (attn.)

43 Middle part of an insect’s body : THORAX

By definition, an insect has a body made up of three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.

48 Ginger ___ : ALE

The brand most closely associated with ginger ale is Canada Dry. “Canada Dry Pale Ginger Ale” was first formulated in 1904 by a Canadian chemist called John McLoughlin from Ontario. Prohibition in the United States helped sales of the drink as it was particularly effective in masking the taste of illegally-produced homemade liquor.

52 Often-lost camera part : LENS CAP

You can say that again …

57 Start of the Lord’s Prayer : OUR …

Our Father … (“Pater noster” in Latin) are the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, which is probably the best-known prayer in the Christian tradition.

58 Election Day in the U.S.: Abbr. : TUE

Election day was chosen by Congress back in 1845. The month of November was selected as it suited an agricultural society, following the fall harvest and yet not too far into winter, which could make travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen so that people had time to travel to polling stations. Monday elections might have meant that some would have to start out on Sunday, and that could interfere with Christian services.

59 Sauvignon blanc, e.g. : VIN

In French, a “vin” (wine) might be “rouge” (red) or “blanc” (white).

64 Corner key on a keyboard : ESC

The escape key (Esc) was originally used to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.

68 Home of the Empire State Bldg. : NYC

New York City’s Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building from 1931, the date of its completion, until 1970 when the North Tower of the World Trade Center surpassed it in height in 1970. The Empire State Building was constructed in less than 15 months, handily beating the planned 18-month schedule.

Down

2 Products pioneered by IBM : PCS

The original IBM Personal Computer is model number 5150, which was introduced to the world on August 12, 1981. The term “personal computer” was already in use, but the success of the IBM 5150 led to the term “PC” being used for all computer products compatible with the IBM platform.

5 Orchestra’s concertmaster, usually : VIOLINIST

In an orchestra, the first violins are led by the concertmaster, often referred to as the “first chair” in the US. The first chair is usually regarded as the most skilled of the first violin section, and will usually play any solo passages (unless a guest soloist is performing a violin concerto).

7 Makes love to, à la Austin Powers : SHAGS

The second film in the Austin Powers series, “The Spy Who Shagged Me”, ran into a few problems over in the UK and other parts of the world. Over there, the word “shag” is pretty rude.

8 Experts : GURUS

“Guru” is a Hindi word meaning “teacher” or “priest”.

11 ___ I.R.A. : ROTH

Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs) were introduced in 1997 under a bill sponsored by Senator William Roth of Delaware, hence the name.

21 Most deodorants, once : AEROSOLS

Strictly speaking, the term “aerosol” defines a suspension of either liquid droplets or solid particles in a gas. A good example of an aerosol is smoke. We tend to use the “aerosol” to describe what comes out of a spray can, even though the liquid droplets usually fall out of the gas and don’t stay suspended.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used to be widely used as propellants in aerosols, and as refrigerants in cooling systems. CFCs make their way up into the ozone layer and trigger a chain reaction that converts ozone (O3) into regular oxygen (O2). That conversion creates “holes” in the ozone layer. Regular O2 is good stuff, but we need O3 to absorb harmful UV radiation raining down on us. CFC is not good stuff …

28 “Straight Outta Compton” rapper, 1988 : EAZY-E

“Eazy-E” was the stage name of rapper Eric Lynn Wright. Eazy-E had a pretty liberal lifestyle, fathering seven children with six different women. In 1995, he died due to complications from AIDS when he was only 32 years old.

“Straight Outta Compton” was the first album by N.W.A. N.W.A was a hip hop group from Compton, California. The original five group members included rappers who have made a name for themselves as solo acts, including: Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. The story of NWA is told in a 2015 film, also called “Straight Outta Compton”.

29 Many an I.R.S. employee : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was set up during the Civil War to raise money to cover war expenses. Prior to the introduction of income tax in 1862, the government was funded by levies on trade and property.

31 “To be or not to be …,” e.g. : SOLILOQUY

There has been centuries of debate about how one interprets Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “To be or not to be …”. My favorite opinion is that Hamlet is weighing up the pros and cons of suicide (“to not be”).

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous fortune;
Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles …

44 Solo in the “Star Wars” saga : HAN

Han Solo is the space smuggler in “Star Wars” played by Harrison Ford. Ford was originally hired by George Lucas just to read lines for actors during auditions for “Star Wars”, but over time Lucas became convinced that Ford was right for the pivotal role of Han Solo.

51 Style of house or dressing : RANCH

Ranch dressing has been the best selling salad dressing in the country since 1992. The recipe was developed by Steve Henson who introduced it in the fifties to guests on his dude ranch, the Hidden Valley Ranch in Northern California. His ranch dressing became so popular that he opened a factory to produce packets of ranch seasoning that could be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk. Henson sold the brand for $8 million in 1972.

54 Hertz rental : AUTO

The Hertz car rental company was started in 1918 by Walter L. Jacobs in Chicago. He began with just twelve model T Ford cars available for rent. In 1923, the car rental operation was bought out by John D. Hertz who incorporated it into his truck and coach manufacturing company.

61 The Trojans of the Pac-12 Conf. : USC

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private school in Los Angeles. Apart from its excellent academic record, USC is known the success of its athletic program. USC Trojans have won more Olympic medals than the students of any other university in the world. The USC marching band is very famous as well, and is known as the “Spirit of Troy”. The band has performed with many celebrities, and is the only college band to have two platinum records.

62 Issa of HBO’s “Insecure” : RAE

Issa Rae is a Stanford University graduate who created a YouTube web series called “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. Rae also plays the title role in the series, a young lady named “J”. “Awkward Black Girl” was adapted into an HBO comedy-drama called “Insecure”, in which Issa Rae stars.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Choose : OPT
4 Prominent items in sports bars : TVS
7 “___ Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” : SGT
10 Spring jauntily : PRANCE
13 Painful injury, in totspeak : OWIE
14 “Say again?” : HUH?
15 Place for ferns and pine needles : FOREST FLOOR
17 Opposite of departure: Abbr. : ARR
18 Basketball one-pointers: Abbr. : FTS
19 Bathroom towel support : ROD
20 The “L” of N.F.L. : LEAGUE
22 Philosopher who wrote “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” : THOREAU
25 Skillful handling of a situation : FINESSE
26 This very instant : NOW
27 Filmmaker Rob : REINER
29 Church bell sounds : CHIMES
32 Bird: Prefix : AVI-
33 Poetic tributes : ODES
37 Leaning Tower city : PISA
38 Trickles slowly : OOZES
40 iPhone voice : SIRI
41 Abbr. at the top of an office memo : ATTN
42 Unordained : LAY
43 Middle part of an insect’s body : THORAX
45 Transports for tots : TRIKES
48 Ginger ___ : ALE
49 Stories in installments : SERIALS
52 Often-lost camera part : LENS CAP
56 “Right,” slangily : EXACTO
57 Start of the Lord’s Prayer : OUR …
58 Election Day in the U.S.: Abbr. : TUE
59 Sauvignon blanc, e.g. : VIN
60 Some Down answers in this puzzle : SQUARE ROOTS
64 Corner key on a keyboard : ESC
65 Remove from power : OUST
66 Snack for Bugs Bunny : CARROT
67 To the ___ degree : NTH
68 Home of the Empire State Bldg. : NYC
69 Golf peg : TEE

Down

√1 : ONE
2 Products pioneered by IBM : PCS
3 Prefix with -hedron : TETRA-
√4 : TWO
5 Orchestra’s concertmaster, usually : VIOLINIST
6 Peaceful : SERENE
7 Makes love to, à la Austin Powers : SHAGS
8 Experts : GURUS
√9 : THREE
10 Sound of failure : PFFT!
11 ___ I.R.A. : ROTH
12 Flame thrower? : ARSONIST
13 Outdated : OLD
√16 : FOUR
21 Most deodorants, once : AEROSOLS
23 With 35-Down, literary period known for flowery poetry : ROMANTIC …
24 Ram’s mate : EWE
√25 : FIVE
28 “Straight Outta Compton” rapper, 1988 : EAZY-E
29 Many an I.R.S. employee : CPA
30 Chart-topper : HIT
31 “To be or not to be …,” e.g. : SOLILOQUY
34 Person who calls “Action!” : DIRECTOR
35 See 23-Down : … ERA
√36 : SIX
39 Acorn producers : OAKS
44 Solo in the “Star Wars” saga : HAN
46 Betrays, as to the cops : RATS ON
47 Talk trashed? : SLUR
√49 : SEVEN
50 Be : EXIST
51 Style of house or dressing : RANCH
53 Put up, as a house : ERECT
54 Hertz rental : AUTO
55 Little brother, stereotypically : PEST
57 Bit of horse feed : OAT
61 The Trojans of the Pac-12 Conf. : USC
62 Issa of HBO’s “Insecure” : RAE
63 Valuable rock : ORE

12 thoughts on “1007-19 NY Times Crossword 7 Oct 19, Monday”

  1. 5:26. Pretty easy even by Monday standards. Kudos to the setter who had to place the theme answers at the exact number. I suspect he had to reposition those a few times to get it right.

    Best –

  2. No errors. I did not grasp the fact that the numbers ONE through SEVEN were indeed the SQUARE ROOTS of their corresponding clue numbers until finally solving 60-Across. Up to that point I was just seeing them as simple counting.

    Bill, I want to tell you that not all of the print versions had the square root sign as you said in your explanation above. My newspaper had only a check mark without the small line continuing horizontally over the number. If the proper symbol had been there then I would have caught on much sooner to the theme.

    I hope that I am right about the square root sign. I tried finding it among all the symbols on my device and came up with nothing. Then I noticed, Bill, that even you did not use it above and that you opted rather for a check mark.

    I also seem to be finding out somehow that a certain process has to be followed in order to simply make the classic radical sign on a computer. After searching all of this, I sort of gave up on this quest to find out anything further. Surely it can’t be that complicated?

    1. I too thought the mark was just a check mark. I thought they just meant a cutesy puzzle clue. Once I got one and two I guessed that they wanted 1 thru 7. And like you all I can find online is the check mark. There is the “correct” sign on my Sharp compet vx-1136 calculator…but who uses those anymore.

  3. Liked the blending of SQUARE ROOTS and their squares’ numbers. Check marks seemed close enough to the standard signs without giving the whole game away.

    1. Thanks, @Tom M. That is indeed a plausible explanation. Surely the constructors and editors must have known in advance what the solvers were going to see. I do believe that you are right about this.

  4. I think the “√” is, in fact, a square root character, rather than a check mark character (of which there are several, one of which looks like this: “✓”). I’m not quite sure how to use it to write, for example, “the square root of two”, which one would expect to have a bar extending over the “2”.

    1. And it just occurred to me that what you see when you read the above message may depend on the device on which you are reading it … 😳. (I’m typing this on an iPad Mini.)

  5. I found “√” in the Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman fonts
    that came with my Windows© 10 system.

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