1105-19 NY Times Crossword 5 Nov 19, Tuesday

Constructed by: John Guzzetta
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Juicy Part

Themed answers each include a JUICY fruit as a hidden word:

  • 64A Movie role with range … or what 17-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across each have? : JUICY PART
  • 17A Robot : AUTOMATON (hiding “TOMATO”)
  • 24A Object commonly worn by someone under house arrest : ANKLE MONITOR (hiding “LEMON”)
  • 39A One making a scene outdoors : LANDSCAPE ARTIST (hiding “PEAR”)
  • 51A Venus, for one : ROMAN GODDESS (hiding “MANGO”)

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

Bill’s time: 5m 37s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Pop group whose name is also a rhyme scheme : ABBA

I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA’s music. ABBA was the Swedish group who topped the charts in the seventies and eighties. The name ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of the given names of each of the band members: Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid. Early in their careers, the four fell in love and formed two married couples: Agnetha and Bjorn, and Benny and Anni-Frid. However, at the height of their success, the relationships became strained and both couples divorced.

9 ___ Xtra (soft drink) : PIBB

The soft drink on the market today called Pibb Xtra used to be known as Mr Pibb, and before that was called Peppo. Peppo was introduced in 1972 as a direct competitor to Dr Pepper.

17 Robot : AUTOMATON (hiding “TOMATO”)

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer noted for his works of science fiction. Čapek’s 1920 play “R.U.R.” is remembered in part for introducing the world to the word “robot”. The words “automaton” and “android” were already in use, but Capek gave us “robot” from the original Czech “robota” meaning “forced labor”. The acronym “R.U.R.”, in the context of the play, stands for “Rossum’s Universal Robots”.

20 ___ dish : PETRI

Julius Richard Petri was a German bacteriologist and was the man after whom the Petri dish is named. The petri dish can have an agar gel on the bottom which acts as a nutrient source for the specimen being grown and studied, in which case the dish plus agar is referred to as an “agar plate”.

21 Pioneering arcade game company : ATARI

At one point, the electronics and video game manufacturer Atari was the fastest growing company in US history. However, Atari never really recovered from the video game industry crash of 1983.

Our word “arcade” comes from the Latin “arcus” meaning “arc”. The first arcades were passages made from a series of arches. This could be an avenue of trees, and eventually any covered avenue. I remember arcades lined with shops and stores when I was growing up on the other side of the Atlantic. Arcades came to be lined with lots of amusements, resulting in amusement arcades and video game arcades.

24 Object commonly worn by someone under house arrest : ANKLE MONITOR (hiding “LEMON”)

A person under house arrest often wears an ankle monitor that is used to ensure that he or she does not stray far from home. An alternative system involves random calls to the confined person’s home that have to be answered by the convict. On the face of it, house arrest seems to be a very economic alternative for society instead of the prison system. As part of the sentence, the convict may even be asked to pay for the cost of monitoring his or her house arrest.

32 Word before we or flush : ROYAL …

The “royal we” is more correctly called the “majestic plural”, and is the use of a plural pronoun to describe a single person in a high office. I suppose the most often quoted phrase that uses the majestic plural is “We are not amused”, which is often attributed to Queen Victoria. The editorial we is a similar concept, in which a newspaper editor or columnist refers to himself or herself as “we” when giving an opinion.

The poker hand called a royal flush is the highest-ranking hand possible. It consists of a run of 10, jack, queen, king and ace, with all in the same suit.

36 Greek H’s : ETAS

Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, and is a forerunner of our Latin character “H”. Originally denoting a consonant, eta was used as a long vowel in Ancient Greek.

45 School fund-raising grp. : PTA

Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

46 Explorer ___ the Red : ERIK

According to Icelandic tradition, Erik the Red was the man responsible for founding the first Norse settlement in Greenland. Erik had a famous son: the explorer Leif Ericson.

49 Noted holder of 1,093 U.S. patents : EDISON

Thomas Edison was a very successful inventor. He held over a thousand US patents in his name. Included in the list of Edison’s inventions is the phonograph, the movie camera and the long-lasting light bulb. He passed away in 1931. There is a test tube at the Henry Ford Museum that supposedly holds Edison’s last breath. Ford convinced Thomas’s son Charles to seal up a tube of air in the room just after the inventor died, as a memento.

51 Venus, for one : ROMAN GODDESS (hiding “MANGO”)

Venus was the Roman goddess of love and, according to Roman myth, was the mother of the Roman people. Her Greek counterpart was Aphrodite.

56 Edwards or Ramstein: Abbr. : AFB

Edwards Air Force Base is in a desert area in Southern California. Edwards is a flight test center for the Air Force, and it was here that Chuck Yeager famously broke the sound barrier for the first time. And of course, Edwards was used for many landings of the Space Shuttle.

Ramstein Air Base is a US Air Force Base located in southwestern Germany that serves as headquarters for NATO Allied Air Command, as well as the headquarters of US Air Forces both in Europe and in Africa. Fans of “Superman” might know that Lois Lane was born at Ramstein Air Base in 1938. The only problem with that storyline is that Ramstein didn’t open until 1948.

58 Lollipop-sucking character of 1970s TV : KOJAK

“Kojak” is a fun police drama that had an original run on TV from 1973 to 1978. The title character was NYPD Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas. Famously, Kojak sucks away on Tootsie Pops as he tries to quit cigarettes. Kojak is assisted in his cases by Sergeant “Fatso” Stavros played by George Savalas, Telly’s younger brother. Who loves ya, baby?

66 Black tea variety : PEKOE

A pekoe (or more commonly “orange pekoe”) is a medium-grade black tea. There is no orange flavor in an orange pekoe tea. The “orange” name most likely derived from the name of the trading company that brought the tea to Europe from Asia.

67 1993’s ___ Accords : OSLO

The Oslo Accords grew out of secret negotiations between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in a residence in Oslo in the early nineties. The delegates shared the same house while they conducted 14 meetings. While eating all their meals together at the same table, the negotiators came to respect one another and apparently friendships developed.

68 “The Grapes of Wrath” migrator : OKIE

John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is set during the Great Depression. The novel tells the story of the Joad family from Oklahoma, farmers who had to leave their home and head for California due to economic hardship.

70 Source for restaurant reviews : YELP

yelp.com is a website that provides a local business directory and reviews of services. The site is sort of like Yellow Pages on steroids, and the term “yelp” is derived from “yel-low p-ages”.

Down

2 Pale ___ dot (Earth) : BLUE

“Pale Blue Dot” is a book about the cosmos by Carl Sagan. The title of the book is taken from the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photograph taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft from almost 4 million miles from the Earth. In the photo, our planet appears as a tiny “pale blue dot”. NASA had Voyager 1 take the photograph, at the request of Carl Sagan.

8 ___ Games (quadrennial event) : PAN-AM

The Pan American (Pan-Am) Games are held every four years, the year just before the Summer Olympic Games. The participating athletes all come from the Americas.

9 Green outer layer of a statue : PATINA

Patina is the oxide film that develops on brass and similar metals over time. For example, it’s patina that makes Lady Liberty the lovely green color that she is.

11 Advice much seen in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen : BEAUTY TIPS

“Cosmopolitan” magazine was first published way back in 1886! It started out life as a family magazine, then as a literary publication. “Cosmo” took its present form as a women’s magazine in the sixties.

“Seventeen” is a monthly magazine aimed at teenage girls that was first issued in 1944.

12 Low voice : BASSO

The bass is the lowest male singing voice. A man with such a voice might be called a “basso” (plural “bassi”). In an opera, the villain of the piece is usually played by a basso.

22 Burglarize : ROB

The crime of burglary is the breaking into and entering of a building with the intent to steal. The actual theft itself is a separate crime.

25 McDonald’s founder Ray : KROC

The original McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald as a barbecue restaurant. The brothers then moved into fast food hamburgers, eventually selling out to one of their franchise agents, Ray Kroc. It was Ray Kroc who really led the company to its worldwide success. He was played by Michael Keaton in the movie about Ray Kroc’s business life called “The Founder”.

28 Bread baked in a tandoor : NAAN

Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

33 Rotate about an axis, as a plane : YAW

The word “yaw” means to deviate from the line of a course and is used mainly at sea and in the air. “Yaw” is derived from the Old Norse word “jaege” which means “to drive, chase”. As such, “yaw” is etymologically related to our word “yacht”.

34 Bone smasher in the opening scene of “2001: A Space Odyssey” : APE

“2001: A Space Odyssey” is a groundbreaking 1968 sci-fi film that was inspired by an Arthur C. Clarke short story “The Sentinel”. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick teamed up to write the film’s screenplay. While working on the screenplay, Clarke wrote a novel with the same title as the film, and published it soon after the release of the movie.

38 Kyle and Kenny’s friend on “South Park” : STAN

“South Park” is an adult-oriented cartoon series on Comedy Central. I don’t do “South Park” …

40 “___ the Explorer” : DORA

“Dora the Explorer” is a cartoon series shown on Nickelodeon. Part of Dora’s remit is to introduce the show’s young viewers to some Spanish words and phrases.

41 James who wrote “A Death in the Family” : AGEE

James Agee was a noted American film critic and screenwriter. Agee wrote an autobiographical novel “A Death in the Family” that won him his Pulitzer in 1958, albeit posthumously. He was also one of the screenwriters for the 1951 classic movie “The African Queen”.

42 Morning warning in a sailor’s saying : RED SKY

We often see red in the sky at sunrise and sunset. This is because at those times of day, sunlight travels through the thickest part of the atmosphere and only the red wavelengths of light make it through. Dust and moisture particles in the atmosphere tend to scatter the other wavelengths. These scattering particles are most concentrated in high pressure weather systems, and high pressure is associated with stable air. Weather systems tend to move from west to east, because of westerly trade winds. So, if we see a red sky illuminated by the sun rising in the east, then the red is caused by a high-pressure system to the east i.e. a period of stable air that has passed. If we see a red sky lit by a setting sun in the west, it is likely that the sunlight is coming through a high-pressure system that is on its way. So the old adage has some truth to it:

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning

48 Soviet spy agcy. : KGB

The “Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti” (KGB) was the national security agency of the Soviet Union until 1991. The KGB was dissolved after the agency’s chairman led a failed attempt at a coup d’état designed to depose President Mikhail Gorbachev.

50 Type of crustacean whose name means “equal-footed” : ISOPOD

Isopods are small crustaceans with seven pairs of legs. Examples would be woodlice and pill bugs. The name “isopod” comes from the Greek “iso” (same) and “pod” (foot). All isopods have seven pairs of jointed limbs.

59 TV anchor Tapper : JAKE

Jake Tapper is a journalist working for CNN as Chief Washington Correspondent. Tapper is also a cartoonist. He wrote a comic strip called “Capitol Hell” that appeared in the Washington, DC paper “Roll Call” from 1994 to 2003.

61 Producer of many compilation records : K-TEL

K-Tel was founded in 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by one Philip Kives. K-Tel’s recipe for success was the sale of inexpensive goods with a simple sales pitch and mail-order distribution.

65 Steal, in slang : COP

“To cop” was northern British dialect for “to seize, catch”, and is still a slang term meaning “to get hold of, steal”. This verb evolved in the noun “copper”, describing a policeman, someone who catches criminals. “Copper” is often shortened to “cop”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Pop group whose name is also a rhyme scheme : ABBA
5 Bit of dance instruction : STEP
9 ___ Xtra (soft drink) : PIBB
13 Neighborhood neglected by local government : SLUM
14 “Touched by an Angel” actress Downey : ROMA
15 Calculations that may be given in square feet : AREAS
17 Robot : AUTOMATON (hiding “TOMATO”)
19 Needle : TEASE
20 ___ dish : PETRI
21 Pioneering arcade game company : ATARI
23 Capitalize on : USE
24 Object commonly worn by someone under house arrest : ANKLE MONITOR (hiding “LEMON”)
27 Part of a buck : ANTLER
30 Pamper : BABY
31 Sheep’s sound : BAA!
32 Word before we or flush : ROYAL …
36 Greek H’s : ETAS
39 One making a scene outdoors : LANDSCAPE ARTIST (hiding “PEAR”)
43 Prefix meaning “inner” : ENDO-
44 Golf club designed to achieve loft : WEDGE
45 School fund-raising grp. : PTA
46 Explorer ___ the Red : ERIK
49 Noted holder of 1,093 U.S. patents : EDISON
51 Venus, for one : ROMAN GODDESS (hiding “MANGO”)
56 Edwards or Ramstein: Abbr. : AFB
57 Detest : ABHOR
58 Lollipop-sucking character of 1970s TV : KOJAK
62 What aftershave can do : STING
64 Movie role with range … or what 17-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across each have? : JUICY PART
66 Black tea variety : PEKOE
67 1993’s ___ Accords : OSLO
68 “The Grapes of Wrath” migrator : OKIE
69 Contents of a Facebook feed : NEWS
70 Source for restaurant reviews : YELP
71 “What’s the ___?” : DEAL

Down

1 “Stat!” : ASAP!
2 Pale ___ dot (Earth) : BLUE
3 Ashtray item : BUTT
4 Lacking a compass, say : AMORAL
5 Spanish Mrs. : SRA
6 A to Z : TOTAL
7 Hardly underplay : EMOTE
8 ___ Games (quadrennial event) : PAN-AM
9 Green outer layer of a statue : PATINA
10 Fury : IRE
11 Advice much seen in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen : BEAUTY TIPS
12 Low voice : BASSO
16 Fortuneteller : SEER
18 Rock experts? : MINERS
22 Burglarize : ROB
25 McDonald’s founder Ray : KROC
26 “Yeah, right!” : I BET!
27 Qualified : ABLE
28 Bread baked in a tandoor : NAAN
29 Conveyance for two : TANDEM BIKE
33 Rotate about an axis, as a plane : YAW
34 Bone smasher in the opening scene of “2001: A Space Odyssey” : APE
35 Directed : LED
37 Regarding : AS TO
38 Kyle and Kenny’s friend on “South Park” : STAN
40 “___ the Explorer” : DORA
41 James who wrote “A Death in the Family” : AGEE
42 Morning warning in a sailor’s saying : RED SKY
47 Since forever : IN AGES
48 Soviet spy agcy. : KGB
50 Type of crustacean whose name means “equal-footed” : ISOPOD
51 Hoarse voice : RASP
52 Frequently : OFTEN
53 “How great,” sarcastically : OH JOY
54 Put out, as a fire : DOUSE
55 Fire ___ : DRILL
59 TV anchor Tapper : JAKE
60 Operatic highlight : ARIA
61 Producer of many compilation records : K-TEL
63 “Immediately!” : NOW!
65 Steal, in slang : COP