1008-19 NY Times Crossword 8 Oct 19, Tuesday

Constructed by: Ross Trudeau
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Curling Stones

Four sets of circled letters in today’s grid spell out the names of precious STONES:

  • 36A Items guided by brooms in the Winter Olympics … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme : CURLING STONES

  • SAPPHIRE
  • EMERALD
  • DIAMOND
  • AMETHYST

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

Bill’s time: 5m 35s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Home squatters? : UMPS

Back in the 15th century, “an umpire” was referred to as “a noumpere”, which was misheard and hence causing the dropping of the initial letter N. The term “noumpere” came from Old French “nonper” meaning “not even, odd number”. The idea was that the original umpire was a third person called on to arbitrate between two, providing that “odd number” needed to decide the dispute.

5 Air-quality org. : EPA

The air quality index (AQI) is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

8 Supposed makers of Keebler cookies : ELVES

The famous Keebler Elves have been appearing in ads for Keebler since 1968. The original head of the elves was J. J. Keebler, but he was toppled from power by Ernest J. Keebler in 1970. The Keebler Elves bake their cookies in the Hollow Tree Factory.

14 Like most sushi fish : RAW

Sushi is a Japanese dish that has as its primary ingredient cooked, vinegared rice. The rice is usually topped with something, most often fish, and can be served in seaweed rolls. If we want raw fish by itself, then we have to order sashimi.

15 Mark who won the 1998 Masters : O’MEARA

Mark O’Meara is an American golfer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. He is known as one of the American players who competes in international tournaments more than most, and has a reputation as a real gentleman all around the world.

16 Spray-painting tools : STENCILS

A stencil is a sheet of impervious material with perforations in the shape of letters or a design. The stencil is placed over a surface to be printed and then the printing medium is applied, so that the medium only attaches to the surface beneath the perforations.

19 Info on an airline website, for short : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

21 Artist Matisse : HENRI

Henri Matisse was a French artist renowned for his contribution to modern art. In his early career, Matisse was classed as a “fauve”, one of the group of artists known as the “wild beasts” who emphasized strong color over realism in their works. He was a lifelong friend of Pablo Picasso, and the two were considered to be good-natured rivals so their works are often compared. One major difference between their individual portfolios is that Picasso tended to paint from his imagination, whereas Matisse tended to use nature as his inspiration.

22 Pace : TEMPO

The tempo (plural “tempi”) of a piece of music is usually designated with an Italian word on the score. For example, “grave” is slow and solemn, “andante” is at a walking pace, “scherzo” is fast and light-hearted, and “allegro” is fast, quickly and bright.

26 Local govt. official : ALD

The term “alderman” comes from English law, and is used for a member of a municipal assembly or council. Some cities in the US have a Board of Aldermen instead of a city council.

29 Flavor : SAPOR

“Sapor” is another word for “flavor, a quality that can be tasted”. “Sapor” is Latin for “taste, flavor”.

32 Translation of “je suis” or “yo soy” : I AM

“I am” translates into French as “je suis”, and into Spanish as “yo soy”.

36 Items guided by brooms in the Winter Olympics … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme : CURLING STONES

I think curling is such a cool game (pun!). It’s somewhat like bowls, but played on a sheet of ice. The sport was supposedly invented in medieval Scotland, and is called curling because of the action of the granite stone is it moves across the ice. A player can make the stone take a curved path (“curl”) by causing it to slowly rotate as it slides.

41 Note between fa and la : SOL

The sol-fa syllables are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la & ti.

42 ___ Taylor (clothing chain) : ANN

There was no actual person named “Ann Taylor” associated with the Ann Taylor line of clothes. The name was chosen by the marketing professionals because “Ann” was considered to be “very New England” back in 1954 when the stores first opened, and “Taylor” suggested that clothes were carefully “tailored”.

44 Alternatives to Levi’s : LEES

The Lee company that is famous for making jeans was formed in 1889 by one Henry David Lee in Salina, Kansas.

51 First extra inning : TENTH

That would be baseball.

53 Repeated lyric in a 1987 Michael Jackson #1 hit : I’M BAD

The song “Bad” was written and sung by Michael Jackson, and released in 1987. The song is about being tough on the streets, being “bad”.

58 Sentence ender : PERIOD

The punctuation mark used to terminate a sentence is called a “period” in American English, and a “full stop” in British English. The same punctuation mark has no symbol in Morse code, so the word STOP is used instead in telegraphy.

62 Entertainers Miller and Close : GLENNS

Famously, Glenn Miller signed up with the US Air Force Band during World War II, and disappeared while flying from the South of England to entertain troops that had just liberated Paris. Miller is still listed as missing in action …

Glenn Close a wonderful actress who has played many varied roles, but is well known for her portrayals of less than wholesome characters. She play the crazy Alex Forrest in “Fatal Attraction”, and Cruella de Vil in “101 Dalmatians”. More recently, Close had a regular role on a TV show called “Damages”. Glenn Close is an avid fan of the New York Mets and regularly sings the national anthem before games.

66 Plaint during shearing : BAA!

A plaint is a grouse, a complaint.

67 Battle of Normandy locale : CAEN

Caen, on the River Orne, lies in the Calvados department of France in the northwest of the country. Caen is famous for the WWII Battle of Caen that left the town practically destroyed. Caen is also the burial place of the Norman King William I of England, also known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Down

2 Kathy with the #1 country hit “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” : MATTEA

Kathy Mattea is a country singer who grew up just outside Charleston, West Virginia. Many of Mattea’s songs were written by her husband Jon Vezner.

3 Speaker booster : PREAMP

In a home audio system, one might have a preamplifier (preamp) and a power amplifier. In such an arrangement, the preamp isn’t really an amplifier at all as it does not amplify a signal or sound. The amplification task is left to the power amplifier, and the preamp serves as a switch between signal sources (cable box, CD player, DVD player etc.).

4 Many a pres. candidate : SEN

Senator (sen.)

5 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE

A well-known mnemonic for remembering the names of the Great Lakes is HOMES, an acronym standing for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

6 Las ___, Canary Islands : PALMAS

The Spanish province of Las Palmas comprises about half of the islands of Gran Canaria, and several other small islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa. Gran Canaria is perhaps better known as the “Canary Islands” in English. The province takes its name from Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria island.

8 Fix, as text : EMEND

The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.

17 Beethoven’s “___” Symphony : CHORAL

Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” is his wonderful “Choral” symphony. When it was composed in 1824 it was the first time that a major composer had used voices in a symphony. By the time of the Ninth’s premier, Beethoven was essentially deaf. He insisted on sharing the stage with the musical director (who was conducting), and was visibly counting out time but was off by quite a few measures. When the last notes were played there was enthusiastic applause, although Beethoven was still conducting. The lead contralto had to walk over to Beethoven, stop him, and turn him to the audience to receive his adulation.

23 “Murder on the Orient Express” detective : POIROT

“Murder on the Orient Express” is perhaps the most famous detective novel penned by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. Christie’s Belgian detective Hercule Poirot has to determine which of the passengers on the Orient Express train committed a murder. Spoiler alert: they all did!

27 Vietnam neighbor : LAOS

The present-day nation of Laos can trace its roots back to the historic Lao kingdom of Lan Xang that existed from 1354 to 1707. The full name of the kingdom was “Lan Xang Hom Khao”, which translates as “The Land of a Million Elephants and the White Parasol”.

Vietnam is the country with the 13th-largest population in the word. It covers all of the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia.

28 “The Chronic” rapper, informally : DRE

“Dr. Dre” is the stage name of rapper Andre Romelle Young. Dr. Dre is known for his own singing career as well as for producing records and starting the careers of others such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.

31 “___ Montana” : HANNAH

Miley Cyrus became famous playing the Disney Channel character “Hannah Montana”. Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. When she was born, Billy Ray and his wife named their daughter “Destiny Hope”, but soon they themselves calling her “Smiley” as she was always smiling as a baby, and this got shortened to Miley over time. Cute …

36 Tea variety : CHAI

Chai is a drink made from spiced black tea, honey and milk, with “chai” being the Hindi word for “tea”. We often called tea “a cup of char” growing up in Ireland, with “char” being our slang word for tea, derived from “chai”.

38 What a Möbius strip has : NO END

A Möbius strip is a surface that has only one side. One is easily made by taking a strip of paper and joining the ends together, but with a twist so that it isn’t a regular “band”.

40 Chicago airport code : ORD

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

45 Islamic law based on the Quran : SHARIA

Sharia law is the Islamic legal system that governs many things like crime, politics and economics as well as many aspects of personal behavior. Sharia law is based on the Quran as well as the Hadith, the latter being a set of opinions and life examples from the prophet Muhammad.

47 Cellist at Obama’s first inauguration : YO-YO MA

Yo-Yo Ma is a marvelous American cellist who was born in Paris to Chinese parents. Ma started studying the violin when he was very young, working his way up (in size) to the viola and finally to the cello. He has said that he wanted to play the double bass, but it was just too big for his relatively small frame.

49 Early German : TEUTON

The Germanic peoples of Northern Europe are often called Teutonic, a term which originated with the Teutons, one of the Germanic tribes that lived in the region in the days of ancient Greece and Rome.

51 Long-term security, for short : T-BOND

A Treasury note (T-note) is a government debt that matures in 1-10 years. A T-note has a coupon (interest) payment made every six months. The T-note is purchased at a discount to face value, and at the date of maturity can be redeemed at that face value. A Treasury bill (T-bill) is a similar financial vehicle, but it matures in one year or less, and a T-bond matures in 20-30 years.

56 Disaster relief org. : FEMA

Federal emergency management has been structured for over 200 years, but what we know today as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979 in an Executive Order issued by President Jimmy Carter.

58 Org. offering member instruction, of course! : PGA

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) was founded in 1916 and today has its headquarters (unsurprisingly) in Florida, where so many golfers live. Back in 1916, the PGA was based in New York City.

59 ___ Lilly (pharmaceutical giant) : ELI

Eli Lilly is the largest corporation in the state of Indiana. Founder Eli Lilly was a veteran of the Union Army in the Civil War, and a failed Mississippi plantation owner. Later in life he returned to his first profession and opened a pharmaceutical operation to manufacture drugs and sell them wholesale. Under Lilly’s early guidance, the company was the first to create gelatin capsules to hold medicines and the first to use fruit flavoring in liquid medicines.

61 Campaign-funding grp. : PAC

A political action committee (PAC) is a private group that works to influence the outcome of a particular election or group of elections. Any group becomes a PAC by law when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that PACS that did not make direct contributions to candidates or parties could accept unlimited contributions. These “independent, expenditure-only committees” are commonly referred to as “super PACs”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Home squatters? : UMPS
5 Air-quality org. : EPA
8 Supposed makers of Keebler cookies : ELVES
13 Remove the peel from : PARE
14 Like most sushi fish : RAW
15 Mark who won the 1998 Masters : O’MEARA
16 Spray-painting tools : STENCILS
18 Looked hard (at) : PEERED
19 Info on an airline website, for short : ETA
20 Skirt’s edge : HEM
21 Artist Matisse : HENRI
22 Pace : TEMPO
24 Employee of the Month, e.g. : AWARD
26 Local govt. official : ALD
29 Flavor : SAPOR
30 It’s not everything, per a saying : SIZE
31 Letter-shaped girder : H-BAR
32 Translation of “je suis” or “yo soy” : I AM
34 After all expenses : NET
35 Lotion additive : ALOE
36 Items guided by brooms in the Winter Olympics … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme : CURLING STONES
40 [Gasp!] : OH NO!
41 Note between fa and la : SOL
42 ___ Taylor (clothing chain) : ANN
43 Engrossed : RAPT
44 Alternatives to Levi’s : LEES
46 Utter, biblically : SAYST
50 “Buen ___” (Spanish greeting) : DIA
51 First extra inning : TENTH
52 “Fingers crossed …” : I HOPE …
53 Repeated lyric in a 1987 Michael Jackson #1 hit : I’M BAD
55 Back, in a boat : AFT
57 “___ got it!” : YOU
58 Sentence ender : PERIOD
60 Give the heebie-jeebies : CREEP OUT
62 Entertainers Miller and Close : GLENNS
63 Archery asset : AIM
64 “Are not!” comeback : AM SO!
65 Helped : AIDED
66 Plaint during shearing : BAA!
67 Battle of Normandy locale : CAEN

Down

1 Underdog’s feats : UPSETS
2 Kathy with the #1 country hit “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” : MATTEA
3 Speaker booster : PREAMP
4 Many a pres. candidate : SEN
5 The “E” in HOMES : ERIE
6 Las ___, Canary Islands : PALMAS
7 Cries meaning “How cu-u-ute!” : AWS
8 Fix, as text : EMEND
9 Sinister look : LEER
10 The “x” or “y” in 2x + 3y = 15 : VARIABLE
11 Before, to a bard : ERE
12 Bummed : SAD
15 Many a Gilbert and Sullivan work : OPERETTA
17 Beethoven’s “___” Symphony : CHORAL
21 Puts through a cruel initiation : HAZES
23 “Murder on the Orient Express” detective : POIROT
25 It turns up at the edge of a plane : WINGLET
27 Vietnam neighbor : LAOS
28 “The Chronic” rapper, informally : DRE
31 “___ Montana” : HANNAH
33 Isn’t totally straight with : MISLEADS
36 Tea variety : CHAI
37 Matchless : UNPAIRED
38 What a Möbius strip has : NO END
39 Like some job training : ON-SITE
40 Chicago airport code : ORD
45 Islamic law based on the Quran : SHARIA
47 Cellist at Obama’s first inauguration : YO-YO MA
48 Other half : SPOUSE
49 Early German : TEUTON
51 Long-term security, for short : T-BOND
54 Not yours : MINE
56 Disaster relief org. : FEMA
58 Org. offering member instruction, of course! : PGA
59 ___ Lilly (pharmaceutical giant) : ELI
60 One in line at an airport : CAB
61 Campaign-funding grp. : PAC

8 thoughts on “1008-19 NY Times Crossword 8 Oct 19, Tuesday”

  1. 13:06. I really struggled with this one by Tuesday standards even though I got the theme. I always see curling as a giant game of shuffleboard on ice. It’s very popular in Canada. I’d be fun to try someday.

    Best –

  2. 21:48 no errors…..from what I have seen lts a stretch to call the participants athletes in curling

  3. I’ve never heard of Hbar either. And I don’t think it’s fair that sapphire curls up while the others curl down. Until I got other across answers I was trying to think of any gem that started with erih. Sometimes the brain just doesn’t work.

  4. No errors. An excellent puzzle for sure. Nice theme. I have seen lots of curling when I lived in Alaska. I was invited to participate although I never got around to trying it.

  5. I appreciated that this was a little more of a workout than your typical Tuesday. No errors and very enjoyable.

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