0110-21 NY Times Crossword 10 Jan 21, Sunday

Constructed by: Alex Bajcz
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme: Oh, Fourpeat’s Sake

Themed answers each include a FOUR-letter string that is immediately REPEATED:

  • 22A Classic saying originated by John Donne : NO MAN IS AN ISLAND (ANIS-ANIS)
  • 31A Aid for making a tiki bar cocktail : BAHAMA MAMA MIX (AMAM-AMAM)
  • 48A “Glad to have you back, dear!” : WELCOME HOME, HON! (OMEH-OMEH)
  • 62A Most expensive block : PRIMETIME TV (IMET-IMET)
  • 72A Post-interruption question : WHERE WERE WE? (EREW-EREW)
  • 87A First ruler of a united Hawaii : KING KAMEHAMEHA (AMEH-AMEH)
  • 103A Relatively light foundry product : ALUMINUM INGOT (UMIN-UMIN)
  • 118A Potful in some Italian kitchens : ROMA TOMATO SAUCE (OMAT-OMAT)

Bill’s time: 24m 57s!

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

9 Dental brand : ORAL-B

The Oral-B toothbrush was introduced to the world in 1950, designed by a California periodontist. The first “model” was the Oral-B 60, a name given to reflect the 60 tufts in the brush. In 1969, the Oral-B was the first toothbrush to get to the moon as it was the toothbrush of choice for the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

20 First name in flying history : AMELIA

Amelia Earhart is as famous today as she was during her lifetime. When she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Congress, and the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French government. She made two attempts to circumnavigate the globe by air (not solo). Her first attempt in March 1937 had to be abandoned when her aircraft was damaged during takeoff. The second attempt in June/July of the same year ended when Earhart and her navigator disappeared flying from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island in the Central Pacific.

22 Classic saying originated by John Donne : NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

John Donne wrote a piece of prose called “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions”. One passage contains two phrases that are oft-quoted: “No man is an island”, and “for whom the bell tolls”.

No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

John Donne was one of England’s most celebrated poets, and was active at the start of the 17th century. He spent much of his life in poverty and even spent a short time in prison for having married his wife without procuring the appropriate permissions. After his release, his wife bore him 12 children in 16 years, passing away a few days after the twelfth child was born.

24 Like oxfords, but not slippers : LACED

An oxford is a type of lace-up shoe that originated not in Oxford, but actually in Scotland and/or Ireland.

27 ___ O’s (breakfast cereal) : OREO

Oreo O’s cereal was made by Post from 1998 to 2007. The pieces of cereal were basically O-shaped (like Cheerios) but chocolate-flavored, dark brown in color and with white sprinkles on them. Oh, and lots of sugar.

29 Population grouping, informally : DEMO

Demographic (demo.)

31 Aid for making a tiki bar cocktail : BAHAMA MAMA MIX

If you’d care to try the drink called a Bahama mama, one recipe is:

  • 1 part rum
  • 1 part coconut rum
  • 1 part grenadine
  • 2 parts orange juice
  • 2 parts pineapple juice

The world’s first tiki bar was called “Don the Beachcomber”, and was opened in L.A. in 1933 by Ernest Gantt (also known as “Donn Beach”). The bar became famous for its exotic rum cocktails. Gantt was called to serve in WWII, and the business expanded dramatically under his ex-wife’s management so that there was a 160-restaurant chain waiting for Gantt when he returned stateside.

38 Bouncer’s requests, for short : IDS

Identity document (ID)

39 Beethoven title woman (whose identity is unknown) : ELISE

“Für Elise” is a beautiful piece of solo piano music by Beethoven that is also known as “Bagatelle in A Minor”. “Für Elise” simply means “For Elise”, but sadly no one knows for sure the identity of the mysterious dedicatee.

40 Supreme Egyptian deity : AMON-RA

Amun-Ra (also “Amon, Amen”) was a god in Egyptian mythology. Amun lends his name to our word “ammonia”. This is because the Romans called the ammonium chloride that they collected near the Temple of Jupiter Amun, “sal ammoniacus” (salt of Amun).

41 Standing on the street : CRED

“Street cred” is slang for “street credibility”, of which I have none …

44 Carpenter ___ : ANT

Carpenter ants can wreak havoc in a wooden structure. They burrow into damp wood creating galleries and pathways that form a complex network of nests. Unlike termites though, carpenter ants don’t feed on the wood.

45 Pin number? : TEN

Bowling has been around for an awfully long time. The oldest known reference to the game is in Egypt, where pins and balls were found in an ancient tomb that is over 5,000 years old. The first form of the game to come to America was nine-pin bowling, which had been very popular in Europe for centuries. In 1841 in Connecticut, nine-pin bowling was banned due to its association with gambling. Supposedly, an additional pin was added to get around the ban, and ten-pin bowling was born.

52 Actor/TV host Joel : MCHALE

“The Soup” is a show on E! that aired from 2004 until 2015. “The Soup” aired clips from recent shows, with commentary from host Joel McHale. It is a successor to the similar show “Talk Soup” that also aired on E!, from 1991 to 2002, presenting clips from the previous day’s talk shows.

57 The D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI

The Arizona Diamondbacks (also “D-backs”) joined Major League Baseball’s National League in 1998. By winning the World Series in 2001, the Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team to do so in Major League history.

58 Quack doctor’s offering : ELIXIR

An elixir is a solution of alcohol and water that is used to deliver a medicine. The term “elixir” can also be used to mean a medicine that has the power to cure all ills.

A quack is a person who pretends to have knowledge that he or she does not in fact possess. The term especially applies to someone fraudulently pretending to have medical skills. Our modern word is an abbreviation of “quacksalver”, an archaic term with Dutch roots that translates as “hawker of salve”, Back in the Middle Ages, quacksalvers would shout out (quack) as they sold their pseudo-medical wares.

59 London neighborhood west of Covent Garden : SOHO

The area of London called Soho had a very poor reputation for most of the 20th century as it was home to the city’s red-light district. Soho went through a transformation in recent decades, and has been a very fashionable neighborhood since the 1980s.

Covent Garden in London’s West End is associated with the Royal Opera House that is located in the area, and with the former fruit and vegetable market that used to sit right at the center of the district. The name “Covent Garden” comes from the fact that there once was a walled garden in the area owned by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Westminster. The abbey rented out the walled garden calling it “Convent Garden”, and this morphed into the area’s current name.

64 Kirghizia or Byelorussia: Abbr. : SSR

The former Soviet Union (officially “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” or “USSR”) was created in 1922, not long after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that overthrew the tsar. Geographically, the new Soviet Union was roughly equivalent to the old Russian Empire, and comprised fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs).

67 Quick hit : TOKE

“Toke” is a slang term describing a puff on a marijuana cigarette, or on a pipe containing the drug.

70 ___ Rachel Wood of “Westworld” : EVAN

Actress Evan Rachel Wood’s most famous role to date is playing one of the leads in the 2003 movie “Thirteen”. Wood’s private life draws a lot of attention, especially as she was romantically linked for some time with the “outrageous” musician Marilyn Manson.

“Westworld” is an HBO series that is based on a 1973 movie of the same name, which was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Westworld is a high-tech theme park populated by androids that interact with the guests.

77 ___ Schomburg, Harlem Renaissance figure : ARTURO

“Harlem Renaissance” is the term used to describe a cultural movement in the 1920s that was known at the time as the “New Negro Movement”. The movement involved new cultural expression by African Americans that was centered mainly in urban areas in the northeast and midwest, and that was especially vibrant in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood.

78 Haiti’s ___ de la Tortue : ILE

The Republic of Haiti occupies the smaller, western portion of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. The rest of the island is taken up by the Dominican Republic. Haiti is one of only two nations in the Americas to have French as an official language, the other being Canada.

87 First ruler of a united Hawaii : KING KAMEHAMEHA

King Kamehameha I Day is celebrated annually on June 11, and is a public holiday in Hawaii. The holiday was established in 1871 by Kamehameha V to honor his grandfather Kamehameha I (aka “Kamehameha the Great”), the founder of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

92 ___ Precheck : TSA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates its precheck program known as “TSA Pre✓” (or “TSA PreCheck”). Members of the program receive expedited screening at airports at most airports. In order to become a member, a traveler must apply online, appear in person at a designated office for a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a fee for a 5-year membership.

Not that it’s a big deal, the TSA uses CamelCase for the term “PreCheck”.

The practice of writing compound words with capital letters and no space between, or using a lowercase letter prior to an uppercase letter, is known as “CamelCase”. Examples of words using CamelCase are “PowerPoint”, “MySpace”, “iPhone”, “eBay” and “CamelCase” itself. The idea behind the moniker is that such words have a “humpy” appearance, like the humps of a camel.

96 Fixture whose name translates to “small horse” : BIDET

“Bidet” is a French word that we imported into English. In French, the word “bidet” originally described a small horse or a pony. The bidet bathroom fixture was so called because one straddles it like a horse in order to use it.

99 Result of the ’64 Clay/Liston fight : TKO

Technical knockout (TKO)

Muhammad Ali fought Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship twice. The first bout was in 1964 in Miami, and the second in 1965 in Lewiston, Maine. In the first fight, Liston failed to come out of his corner for the seventh round. On seeing this, Ali (or “Cassius Clay” as he was then) ran to the ropes yelling “I’m the greatest!” and “I shook up the world”.

108 Wash. neighbor : OREG

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled a dispute between the US and the UK over sovereignty of the Oregon Country. “The Oregon Country” was the name given by the Americans to a large swathe of land west of the Rocky Mountains. That same disputed land was known as the Columbia Department by the British. Oregon became a US state in 1859.

111 “This one’s all mine!” : DIBS!

The phrase “to have dibs on” expresses a claim on something. Apparently, the term “dibs” is a contraction of “dibstone”, which was a knucklebone or jack used in a children’s game.

118 Potful in some Italian kitchens : ROMA TOMATO SAUCE

The Roma tomato isn’t considered an heirloom variety but it is very popular with home gardeners, especially those gardeners that don’t have a lot of space. It is a bush type (as opposed to vine type) and needs very little room to provide a lot of tomatoes.

123 Makes Don nod? : REVERSES

“Don” is the word “nod” reversed.

124 Things that can be closed with a zip : TENTS

What we know today as a “zipper” was invented by mechanical engineer Whitcomb Judson in 1890, when it was called a “clasp locker”. The device was introduced at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, but was not successful. Several people made improvements to the basic design over the coming decades. By the 1920s, the B. F. Goodrich Company was using the device on a line of rubber boots. It was Goodrich who introduced us to the name “zipper”.

Down

3 Bombeck who wrote “At Wit’s End” : ERMA

Erma Bombeck wrote for newspapers for about 35 years. She produced more than 4,000 witty and humorous columns under the title “At Wit’s End”, with all describing her home life in suburbia.

4 Participates in a mosh pit : SLAM-DANCES

Moshing (also “slam dancing”) is the pushing and shoving that takes place in the audience at a concert (usually a punk or heavy metal concert). The area directly in front of the stage is known as the mosh pit. When a performer does a “stage dive”, it is into (or I suppose “onto”) the mosh pit. It doesn’t sound like fun to me. Injuries are commonplace in the mosh pit, and deaths are not unknown.

5 Los Angeles port district : SAN PEDRO

San Pedro is part of Los Angeles, and once was a city in its own right. Pronounced “San Pee-dro” by locals, San Pedro is home to a major portion of the Port of Los Angeles.

6 Sea urchin, at a sushi bar : UNI

Sea urchins are globular, spiny creatures found just about everywhere in the ocean. The “roe” of a sea urchin is eaten as a delicacy in several cuisines around the world. In a sushi restaurant, the sea urchin roe is called “uni”. The term “roe” normally means “fish eggs”, but in the case of the sea urchin it refers to the gonads of both the male and female.

8 Isaac’s firstborn : ESAU

Esau is a son of Isaac, and someone whose story is told in the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Esau had three wives, Adah, Aholibamah and Bashemath.

9 Meditation sounds : OMS

“Om” is a sacred mystic word from the Hindu tradition. “Om” is sometimes used as a mantra, a focus for the mind in meditation.

12 Top part of an I.R.S. form : LINE A

Here in the US we can choose one of three main forms to file our tax returns. Form 1040 is known as the “long form”. Form 1040A is called the “short form”, and can be used by taxpayers with taxable income below $100,000 who don’t itemize deductions. Form 1040EZ is an even simpler version of the 1040, and can be used by those with taxable income less than $100,000 who take the standard deduction and who also have no dependents. Form 1040 was originally created just for tax returns from 1913, 1914 and 1915, but it’s a form that just keeps on giving, or should I say “taking” …?

13 Red morning sky, to sailors : BAD OMEN

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

14 Part of an Italian sub : SALAMI

“Salame” (note the letter E at the end) is an Italian sausage that is traditionally associated with the peasant classes. The meat in the sausage is preserved with salt, and it can be hung and stored for as long as ten years. The name “salame” comes from “sale”, the Italian word for salt, and “-ame”, a suffix indicating a collective noun. Our English word “salami” is actually the Italian plural for “salame”.

15 Some pricey handbags : PRADAS

Prada started out in 1913 as a leather-goods shop in Milan, one established by the two Prada brothers. One of the brothers, Mario Prada, prevented the female members of his family participating in the company as he didn’t believe women should be involved in business (!). When the sexist brother died, his son had no interest in the business so it was his daughter who took over and ran the company for about twenty years, handing it over to her own daughter. I’d say the devil loved that …

16 Things Wyoming and Nevada lack : INCOME TAXES

There are seven states in the US that don’t collect state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

17 Guy who hosts “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” : FIERI

“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” is a reality show that has been airing on the Food Network since 2007. Hosted by Guy Fieri, each episode of the show features restaurant visits in a particular city. As the show’s title partially converys, the focus is on establishments that produce food that might be appreciated by a gourmet, but would not normally be classified as gourmet cuisine.

18 Overnighting option : FEDEX

FedEx began operations in 1973 as Federal Express, but now operates very successfully under it’s more catchy, abbreviated name. Headquartered in Memphis with its “SuperHub” at Memphis International Airport, FedEx is the world’s largest airline in terms of tons of freight flown. And due to the presence of FedEx, Memphis Airport has the largest-volume cargo operation of any airport worldwide.

20 It’s been performed more than 1,000 times at the Met : AIDA

“Aida” is a celebrated opera by Giuseppe Verdi that is based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. Mariette also designed the costumes and stages for the opening performance. The opera was first staged in 1871 in an opera house in Cairo. In the storyline, Aida is an Ethiopian princess brought into Egypt as a slave. Radames is an Egyptian commander who falls in love with her, and then complications arise!

The Metropolitan Opera (often simply “the Met”) of New York City is the largest classical music organization in the country, presenting about 220 performances each and every year. Founded in 1880, the Met is renowned for using technology to expand its audiences. Performances have been broadcast live on radio since 1931, and on television since 1977. And since 2006 you can go see a live performance from New York in high definition on the big screen, at a movie theater near you …

23 Kan. neighbor : NEB

Nebraska gets its name from the Platte River which flows through the state. “Nebraska” is an anglicized version of Otoe and Omaha words meaning “flat water”.

34 Atlanta hoopster : HAWK

The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks started out as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946, although after only a few months the team was moved to Moline, Illinois as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. The Blackhawks were one of the 17 original teams playing at the founding of the National Basketball Association. There was another move in 1951 and a renaming to the Milwaukee Hawks, and yet again in 1955 when the team became the St. Louis Hawks. The latest move was to Atlanta, in 1968.

43 Mammal’s head and heart? : EMS

There is a letter M (em) at the head of the word “mammal”, and two letters M at the word’s heart.

44 “Pokémon” cartoon genre : ANIME

“Pokémon” is the second-biggest video game franchise in the world, second only to the “Mario” franchise. “Pokémon” is a contraction of “Pocket Monsters”.

47 Chutzpah : NERVE

Our word “chutzpah” meaning “nerve, gall, impudence” is derived from the Yiddish “khutspe”, which has the same meaning.

50 Like Parmesan and pecorino : HARD

Genuine Parmesan cheese is made in and around the province of Parma in northern Italy, which province gives the cheese its name.

“Romano” is actually an American term, and is used for a selection of hard and salty cheeses that are typically grated. One of these cheeses is the Italian Pecorino Romano, from which we get the more generic term “Romano”.

60 Cheri of old “S.N.L.” : OTERI

Cheri Oteri was the SNL (“Saturday Night Live”) cast member who regularly appeared with Will Ferrell in the skit featuring a pair of Spartan cheerleaders.

62 “The Masque of the Red Death” writer : POE

The celebrated American writer Edgar Allan Poe (EAP) was born “Edgar Poe” in 1809 in Boston. Poe’s father abandoned Edgar and his two siblings after the death of their mother. As a result, Edgar was taken into the home of the Allan family in Richmond, Virginia. His foster parents gave the future author the name “Edgar Allan Poe”.

64 Tries for a fly : SWATS

That would be baseball, or not. Maybe just swatting at an annoying fly.

65 Film character who says “That’ll do, Donkey. That’ll do” : SHREK

In the 2001 animated feature “Shrek”, the title character is voiced by Mike Myers. Eddie Murphy voices Shrek’s sidekick Donkey, and Princess Fiona is voiced by Cameron Diaz.

68 Christensen of “Parenthood” : ERIKA

Actress Erika Christensen is probably best known for playing a young cocaine addict in the film “Traffic” (2000), and the youngest daughter of the Braverman family on the TV show “Parenthood”.

“Parenthood” is a TV series that originally aired from 2010 until 2015, and is loosely based on the 1989 film of the same name starring Steve Martin. Ron Howard directed the film, and served as executive producer for the TV show.

69 Grammy winner Stefani : GWEN

Gwen Stefani is lead singer with the rock band No Doubt. She joined the band in 1986, focused on a solo career from 2004-2008, but is now back singing and working with No Doubt. She joined the reality show “The Voice” as a coach in 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera. A year later, Stefani announced a relationship with Blake Shelton, a fellow coach on “The Voice”.

73 Classic work by Karel Capek : RUR

Karel Čapek was a Czech writer noted for his works of science fiction. Čapek’s 1921 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”.

74 Whitney for whom a Connecticut museum is named : ELI

Inventor Eli Whitney is best known for inventing the cotton gin. Whitney also came up with the important concept of “interchangeable parts”. Parts that are interchangeable can be swapped out of equipment or perhaps used in related designs.

79 Prez #34 : IKE

When the future president was growing up, the Eisenhowers used the nickname “Ike” for all seven boys in the family, as “Ike” was seen as an abbreviation for the family name. “Big Ike” was Edgar, the second oldest boy. “Little/Young Ike” was Dwight, who was the third son born. Dwight had no sisters.

80 Quick pick-me-up? : CAF

Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in several plants. The chemical serves as a natural pesticide by paralyzing and killing certain insects that would otherwise feed on the plant. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is consumed by humans across the world.

84 Ostracize : SHUN

The practice of ostracism, freezing out or exclusion, dates back to ancient Greece. Back then citizens could write the names of men they thought were exceptionally dangerous on tiles that were publicly posted, resulting in a banishment of ten years. “Ostracize” derives from the Greek “ostrakon”, the word for a “tile”.

88 Watered-down rum : GROG

Edward Vernon was a naval officer with the nickname “Old Grog”. In 1740, Vernon ordered that the daily ration of rum for his sailors should be watered down, in order to reduce discipline problems caused by drunkenness. The diluted rum was sweetened with sugar, and lemon or lime added to help preserve it on long voyages. This recipe, found to reduce scurvy among sailors (because of the citrus) spread throughout the Royal Navy, and “grog” was born. As an aside, George Washington’s older half-brother named the famous Washington Mount Vernon Plantation in honor of Edward Vernon. We use the derivative term “groggy” to mean “unsteady on the feet”, as if under the influence of “grog”.

90 Giant in fairy tales? : ANDERSEN

The wonderful storyteller Hans Christian Andersen became very successful in his own lifetime. In 1847 he visited England for the summer and made a triumphal tour of English society’s most fashionable drawing rooms. There Andersen met with the equally successful Charles Dickens, and the two seemed to hit it off. Ten years later Andersen returned to England and stayed for five weeks in Dickens’ home as his guest. Dickens published “David Copperfield” soon after, and supposedly the less than lovable character Uriah Heep was based on Dickens’ house guest Hans Christian Andersen. That wasn’t very nice!

93 Queen Anne’s royal family : STUARTS

Queen Anne was the last of the Stuarts to rule in Britain and Ireland, and the first sovereign of the Kingdom of Great Britain (after England and Scotland united). Anne was the last of the Stuart line because she died without any surviving children, despite having been pregnant seventeen times.

98 Trashes : DISSES

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

99 Yellow brick road traveler : TIN MAN

According to L. Frank Baum’s series of “Oz” novels, there are two Yellow Brick Roads that lead to the Emerald City from Munchkin Country, and it turns out that Dorothy chose the harder of the two. In addition to the yellow roads, there is also a Red Brick Road, which leads from Munchkin County to the Country of the Quadlings.

104 Peter of “Casablanca” : LORRE

The marvelous actor Peter Lorre was born in what is now modern-day Slovakia. Lorre’s real name was Laszlo Lowenstein. He started acting in Vienna when he was quite young, only 17 years old. When Hitler came to power, the Jewish Lowenstein headed to Paris and then London, eventually ending up in Hollywood. Lorre found himself typecast as the wicked foreigner in American movies, but I think he sneered and snarled his way to the bank.

Signor Ugarte is a wonderful character in the classic 1942 film “Casablanca”. Ugarte is played by Peter Lorre, and is the man who has possession of the crucial letters of transit that were obtained by murdering two German couriers.

105 “The Dick Van Dyke Show” co-star : MOORE

“The Dick Van Dyke Show” is a sitcom that ran from 1961 to 1966 starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore as Rob and Laura Petrie. This classic show was created by the great Carl Reiner, who also had a supporting role on screen.

107 Tiny ___ : TIM

“Tiny Tim” is the nickname of Timothy Cratchit, a character in the Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol”. Tiny Tim is the son of Ebenezer Scrooge’s underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit, and is a sickly child. Famously, the child utters the words “God bless us, every one!” at Christmas dinner, which words are repeated by the author at the end of the story.

115 Pocket rockets, in poker : ACES

A pair of aces are referred to as pocket rockets, particularly when holding them in the hand (the pocket) in the popular variant of poker known as Texas hold ‘em. The term “rockets” is used as the letters A written side-by-side look like two small rockets on the launchpad (AA).

120 Future zygotes : OVA

“Zygote” is the name given to the cell formed when (in the case of humans) a sperm fertilizes an egg. It is the earliest stage in the development of an embryo. The term “zygote” comes from the Greek for “joined, yoked”.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 What a deadline increases : PRESSURE
9 Dental brand : ORAL-B
14 Neaten (up) : SPIFF
19 Jet routes : AIR LANES
20 First name in flying history : AMELIA
21 “___ the Doughnut,” children’s book series : ARNIE
22 Classic saying originated by John Donne : NO MAN IS AN ISLAND
24 Like oxfords, but not slippers : LACED
25 Really put one’s foot down : STAMP
26 Shaded : HUED
27 ___ O’s (breakfast cereal) : OREO
28 Love, love, love : ADORE
29 Population grouping, informally : DEMO
31 Aid for making a tiki bar cocktail : BAHAMA MAMA MIX
34 Isn’t attending solo, say : HAS A DATE
38 Bouncer’s requests, for short : IDS
39 Beethoven title woman (whose identity is unknown) : ELISE
40 Supreme Egyptian deity : AMON-RA
41 Standing on the street : CRED
44 Carpenter ___ : ANT
45 Pin number? : TEN
48 “Glad to have you back, dear!” : WELCOME HOME, HON!
52 Actor/TV host Joel : MCHALE
55 To take this, paradoxically, might signify taking a stand : KNEE
56 Wedding exchange : VOWS
57 The D-backs, on scoreboards : ARI
58 Quack doctor’s offering : ELIXIR
59 London neighborhood west of Covent Garden : SOHO
62 Most expensive block : PRIMETIME TV
64 Kirghizia or Byelorussia: Abbr. : SSR
67 Quick hit : TOKE
69 Word in the Declaration of Independence but not the Constitution : GOD
70 ___ Rachel Wood of “Westworld” : EVAN
71 “Can’t you ___?” : SEE
72 Post-interruption question : WHERE WERE WE?
75 Plant used in making biofuel : ALGA
77 ___ Schomburg, Harlem Renaissance figure : ARTURO
78 Haiti’s ___ de la Tortue : ILE
79 Like some coffee and sprains : ICED
82 Heedless : RASH
86 “Fantabulous!” : TERRIF!
87 First ruler of a united Hawaii : KING KAMEHAMEHA
91 Boot attachment : SKI
92 ___ Precheck : TSA
94 Loan option, briefly : REFI
95 Like a narrow baseball win : ONE-RUN
96 Fixture whose name translates to “small horse” : BIDET
99 Result of the ’64 Clay/Liston fight : TKO
101 Hitting the ground heavily : THUDDING
103 Relatively light foundry product : ALUMINUM INGOT
108 Wash. neighbor : OREG
109 Lavishes affection (on) : DOTES
110 Super-quality : A-ONE
111 “This one’s all mine!” : DIBS!
113 Like about 97% of U.S. land : RURAL
117 Óscar ___, 1987 Peace Nobelist from Costa Rica : ARIAS
118 Potful in some Italian kitchens : ROMA TOMATO SAUCE
121 Given (to) : PRONE
122 Stock exchange worker : TRADER
123 Makes Don nod? : REVERSES
124 Things that can be closed with a zip : TENTS
125 Brains : SENSE
126 Least spicy : BLANDEST

Down

1 Trashes : PANS
2 ___ shield : RIOT
3 Bombeck who wrote “At Wit’s End” : ERMA
4 Participates in a mosh pit : SLAM-DANCES
5 Los Angeles port district : SAN PEDRO
6 Sea urchin, at a sushi bar : UNI
7 Took another take : RESHOT
8 Isaac’s firstborn : ESAU
9 Meditation sounds : OMS
10 Click the circular arrow button, say : RELOAD
11 Aids for sleepyheads : ALARMS
12 Top part of an I.R.S. form : LINE A
13 Red morning sky, to sailors : BAD OMEN
14 Part of an Italian sub : SALAMI
15 Some pricey handbags : PRADAS
16 Things Wyoming and Nevada lack : INCOME TAXES
17 Guy who hosts “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” : FIERI
18 Overnighting option : FEDEX
20 It’s been performed more than 1,000 times at the Met : AIDA
23 Kan. neighbor : NEB
30 Title for a lady : MA’AM
32 Be outta sight? : HIDE
33 Alice in Chains genre : ALT-METAL
34 Atlanta hoopster : HAWK
35 Repeated word in Hozier’s 2014 hit “Take Me to Church” : AMEN
36 Base of an arch : SOLE
37 Video call annoyance : ECHO
42 Falling-out : ROW
43 Mammal’s head and heart? : EMS
44 “Pokémon” cartoon genre : ANIME
46 High-ranking : ELITE
47 Chutzpah : NERVE
49 Call to mind : EVOKE
50 Like Parmesan and pecorino : HARD
51 “You do it ___ will” : OR I
53 Stick (to) : CLING
54 That guy : HIM
60 Cheri of old “S.N.L.” : OTERI
61 “With what frequency?” : HOW OFTEN?
62 “The Masque of the Red Death” writer : POE
63 Duck : EVADE
64 Tries for a fly : SWATS
65 Film character who says “That’ll do, Donkey. That’ll do” : SHREK
66 Payback : RETRIBUTION
68 Christensen of “Parenthood” : ERIKA
69 Grammy winner Stefani : GWEN
73 Classic work by Karel Capek : RUR
74 Whitney for whom a Connecticut museum is named : ELI
76 Certain security officer : ARMED GUARD
79 Prez #34 : IKE
80 Quick pick-me-up? : CAF
81 Send forth : EMIT
83 Atmospheric prefix : AERI-
84 Ostracize : SHUN
85 Be left undecided : HANG
88 Watered-down rum : GROG
89 Common lecture length : HOUR
90 Giant in fairy tales? : ANDERSEN
93 Queen Anne’s royal family : STUARTS
97 “Let me clarify …” : I MEANT …
98 Trashes : DISSES
99 Yellow brick road traveler : TIN MAN
100 Folds and stretches : KNEADS
102 Backpacker’s lodging : HOSTEL
103 Make lemonade from lemons, so to speak : ADAPT
104 Peter of “Casablanca” : LORRE
105 “The Dick Van Dyke Show” co-star : MOORE
106 Wood stain has a strong one : ODOR
107 Tiny ___ : TIM
112 Hurtful remark : BARB
114 Ploy : RUSE
115 Pocket rockets, in poker : ACES
116 In the event that : LEST
119 Symbol on a Junction Ahead sign : TEE
120 Future zygotes : OVA

11 thoughts on “0110-21 NY Times Crossword 10 Jan 21, Sunday”

  1. 25:29, no errors. An interesting one. Maybe, while I’m out shoveling snow this morning, I’ll try to come up with another example … and … maybe not … 😜.

  2. 29:00 I kept looking for 4 syllables to repeat rather than a group of 4 letters to repeat and basically disregarded the gray squares on the app. Had I heeded them, I might have finished a few minutes earlier. NE corner, solved last, also took a bit longer than it should have as I seemed to want 31A to end in RUM rather than MIX. Still – a pretty good time for a Sunday.

  3. 32:12 after spending a few minutes looking for my standard fat finger errors. Got the theme quickly and that helped. Enjoyable puzzle.

  4. 29:48. One error. HuNG instead of HANG for some reason.

    I was confused by 24A LACED for an oxford as I was thinking of the shirt. Never thought of the connection between GROG and groggy, but it makes sense.

    My first grade spelling teacher would have admonished John Donne for all of his misspellings….

    A BAHAMA MAMA is a great drink while on the beach, incidentally.

    Best –

  5. Last place is all mine as it usually is…1:50:00 with no errors…I got the theme but didn’t really get the theme if that makes any sense…the NE corner and 87A really slowed me down.
    I thought 64A referred to squashing a bug rather than baseball.
    Stay safe.😀

    1. I’m pretty sure you are correct that 64A does indeed refer to a flyswatter and not to a baseball swing.

      1. I am sure you guys are right. I am terrible when it comes to sports, and so made an incorrect assumption. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

  6. 15:16, pretty smooth. “SLAMDANCES” and “ALTMETAL” hit right in my “DEMO” sweetspot, being a GenXer.

  7. I know this is three months late and nobody will ever read it, but … what IS the deal with always quoting Donne in the original spelling? Nobody does this to Shakespeare! I think it keeps people from taking him seriously.

  8. P.S. Not to criticize you, Bill, in case you do see this. Actually, I think he’s quoted that way because he’s so often printed that way. But the same question applies. Why?

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