0119-21 NY Times Crossword 19 Jan 21, Tuesday

Constructed by: Olivia Mitra Framke
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Cake

Themed answers each comprise two words that are types of CAKE:

  • 60D Word that can follow either half of the answers to the starred clues : CAKE
  • 18A *Bygone Crayola color : LEMON YELLOW (lemon cake & yellow cake)
  • 41A *Sweet, healthful treat : FRUIT CUP (fruitcake & cupcake)
  • 62A *World’s largest terrestrial arthropod : COCONUT CRAB (coconut cake & crab cake)
  • 12D *Sign in a deli window, perhaps : HOT COFFEE (hotcake & coffee cake)
  • 35D *Staple of Japanese cuisine : WHITE RICE (white cake & rice cake)

Bill’s time: 6m 21s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Source of the line “The meek shall inherit the earth” : PSALMS

The Greek word “psalmoi” originally meant “songs sung to a harp”, and gave us the word “psalms”. In the Jewish and Western Christian traditions, the Book of Psalms contains 150 individual psalms, divided into five sections.

11 One of the two main branches of Islam : SHIA

The Islamic sects of Sunni and Shia Muslims differ in the belief of who should have taken over leadership of the Muslim faithful after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Followers of the Sunni tradition agree with the decision that the Prophet Muhammad’s confidante Abu Bakr was the right choice to become the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. Followers of the Shia tradition believe that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet Muhammad’s own family, and favored the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali.

15 Something not often seen on roofs anymore : AERIAL

We tend to use the term “aerial” and “antenna” interchangeably. Strictly speaking, the aerial is the top part of an antenna. The lead-in is the lower part of the antenna, the part providing the electrical connection between the aerial and the instrument, radio or TV.

16 World capital on a fjord : OSLO

The Norwegian capital of Oslo is located at the northern end of a fjord known as Oslofjord. The fjord is home to 40 islands that lie within the city’s limits. Oslo also has 343 lakes.

17 Collectible caps of the 1990s : POGS

The game of pogs was originally played with bottle caps from POG fruit juice. The juice was named for its constituents, passion fruit, orange and guava.

18 *Bygone Crayola color : LEMON YELLOW (lemon cake & yellow cake)

Crayola has made the decision to rename colors of crayons a few times, often with a nod to changing attitudes in society. Some examples are:

  • “Flesh” to “Peach” (1962 … not all flesh is peach-colored!)
  • “Prussian Blue” to “Midnight Blue” (1958 … as the Cold War was raging)
  • “Indian Red” to “Chestnut” (1999 … even though the name wasn’t a reference to “American Indian”)

20 Case for small toiletries : ETUI

An etui is an ornamental case used to hold small items, in particular sewing needles. We imported both the case design and the word “etui” from France. The French also have a modern usage of “etui”, using the term to depict a case for carrying CDs.

21 Superman’s adoptive family name : KENT

Superman’s comic book creators gave their title character’s alter-ego the name “Clark Kent” by melding the names of Clark Gable and Kent Taylor, two leading men of the cinema at the time Superman was created. However, they modeled Clark’s character more on the silent film actor Harold Lloyd.

22 Penthouse perks : VIEWS

Originally, the term “penthouse” described a modest building attached to a main structure. In fact, in centuries past, the manger in which Jesus was born was often referred to as a penthouse. The modern, more luxurious connotation dates back to the early twenties.

23 Org. affected by Title IX : NCAA

Title IX is a 1972 law that prohibits discrimination in the field of education on the basis of gender. The statute doesn’t mention sports in particular, but it is in the field of athletics that the law has had the biggest effect. After the law was enacted, the number of female sports teams ballooned in schools as funds started to flow more fairly through the system.

24 Buildup at the mouth of a river : DELTA

A river delta is a triangular landform at the mouth of a river created by the deposition of sediment. The Nile Delta in Northern Egypt is one of the world’s largest river deltas, and covers 150 miles of coastline on the Mediterranean. The most famous “delta” in the United States isn’t actually a delta at all. The Mississippi Delta is an alluvial plain that lies 300 miles north of the river’s actual delta, yet it is known as the “Mississippi River Delta”. Very confusing …

36 Narcissistic trait : EGOTISM

Narcissus was a proud and vain hunter in Greek mythology. He earned himself a fatal punishment, being made fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. So, take was he by his own image, that he could not leave it and wasted away and died by the pool. Narcissus gives us our term “narcissism” meaning “excessive love of oneself”.

39 Govt. pill-approving body : FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves drugs for specific conditions. It is quite legal for a healthcare professional to prescribe an approved medication for a use that is different to the FDA-approved indication. This usage of the drug is described as “off-label”.

40 “___ bin ein Berliner” : ICH

“Ich” is the German for “I”, as in “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner), the famous words of support uttered by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 in a speech in West Berlin. The supposed translation of “Ich bin ein Berliner” as “I am a jelly doughnut” … that’s just an urban myth. President Kennedy’s use of German was perfectly correct.

43 Melber of cable news : ARI

Ari Melber is a television journalist and chief legal correspondent for MSNBC. He started hosting his own daily show called “The Beat with Ari Melber” in 2017.

48 Cul-de-___ : SAC

Even though “cul-de-sac” can indeed mean “bottom-of-the-bag” in French, the term “cul-de-sac” is of English origin (the use of “cul” in French is actually quite rude). The term was introduced in aristocratic circles at a time when it was considered very fashionable to speak French. Dead-end streets in France are usually signposted with just a symbol and no accompanying words, but if words are included they are “voie sans issue”, meaning “way without exit”.

49 Month après avril : MAI

In French, “mai” (May) comes “après” (after) “mai” (May).

51 Deprived (of) : BEREFT

To be bereaved (also “bereft”) is to have suffered the loss of a loved one.

55 Singer Bareilles : SARA

Sara Bareilles achieved success with her 2007 “Love Song” with the help of the iTunes online store. In one week in June of that year, iTunes offered the song as “free single of the week” and it quickly became the most downloaded song in the store, and from there climbed to the number spot in the charts.

59 Workers’ rights org. since 1965 : EEOC

“Equal Employment Opportunity” (EEO) is a term that has been around since 1964 when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was set up by the Civil Rights Act. Title VII of the Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.

65 Puerto ___ : RICO

Puerto Rico (PR) is located in the northeastern Caribbean (in the Atlantic Ocean), east of the Dominican Republic. The name “Puerto Rico” is Spanish for “rich port”. The locals often call their island Borinquen, the Spanish form of “Boriken”, the original name used by the natives.

66 Turnpike expense : TOLL

Back in the 15th century, a turnpike (tpk.) was a defensive barrier across a road. By the 17th century the term was used for a barrier that stopped travelers until a toll was paid. By the 18th century a turnpike was the name given to a road with a toll.

67 Actor Mickey of “The Wrestler” : ROURKE

Actor Mickey Rourke had trained as a boxer before his acting career took off. He turned to professional boxing when he lost his love for acting. Rourke took a lot of punishment in the ring in the nineties, resulting in a lot of damage to his face. He also admits that some problems with his appearance were aggravated by botched plastic surgery.

“The Wrestler” is a really hard, gritty movie from 2008, and a comeback film for actor Mickey Rourke. Rourke stars as an over-the-hill professional wrestler, with Marisa Tomei playing a faded stripper, and the love interest. The film received really strong reviews, but I found it to be a tough movie to sit through.

69 Salacious stuff : SMUT

“Smut” means “dirt, smudge” and more recently “pornographic material”. The term comes from the Yiddish “schmutz”, which is a slang word used in English for dirt, as in “dirt on one’s face”.

Down

4 Disney’s Nala, for one : LIONESS

In “The Lion King”, Nala is a lioness and the childhood friend of Simba. By the end of the story, Nala and Simba become wedded. “The Lion King” is inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, with Simba representing the title character, and Nala representing Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia.

5 Mickey of the Yankees : MANTLE

Mickey Mantle only played professional baseball for the one team, spending 18 years with the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle memorabilia is highly prized, especially since he retired from the game in 1969, and even more so since he died in 1995. The only other player memorabilia said to command a higher price is Babe Ruth’s. Mantle holds the record for the most career home runs by a switch hitter, as well as the most World Series home runs.

7 Many sopranos’ songs : SOLI

“Soli” (the plural of “solo”) are pieces of music performed by one artist, whereas “tutti” are pieces performed by all of the artists.

8 Part of an archipelago : ISLE

“Archipelago” is our spelling of the Italian “arcipelago”, a word that has Greek roots. The Aegean Sea was once known as the Archipelago. The usage of “Archipelago” migrated over time, eventually applying only to the Aegean Islands. As a result, we use the term “archipelago” today not for a sea, but for a group or chain of islands.

14 Difficult area to maintain control of in the game Risk : ASIA

Risk is a fabulous board game that was introduced in France in 1957. It was invented by a very successful French director of short films called Albert Lamorisse. Lamorisse called his new game “La Conquête du Monde”, which translates into English as “The Conquest of the World”. A game of Risk is a must during the holidays in our house …

19 Perón of Argentina : EVA

Nowadays, President Juan Perón of Argentina is perhaps less well-known than his second wife, Eva Perón of “Evita” fame. Juan and Eva Perón were overthrown in a military coup in 1955, although Juan Perón was returned to power in 1973 after which he served for only nine months before he passed away. Juan was succeeded in office by his third wife, Isabel Perón.

25 Annoying, ignorable sort : TWERP

“Twerp” and “pipsqueak” are both terms used for someone who is insignificant and contemptible.

27 The letter “I” in Pixar’s logo : LAMP

Pixar Animation Studios started out as part of Lucasfilm in 1979, George Lucas’s production company. Lucas sold what was to become Pixar to Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 1986. Pixar produced its first feature film in 1995, the fabulous “Toy Story”, and followed up with a string of hits. The company was then sold to Walt Disney in 2006, when valued at $7.4 billion. That transaction resulted in Steve Jobs becoming the biggest shareholder in Walt Disney.

29 “And there you have it!” : VOILA

The French word “voilà” means “there it is”, and “voici” means “here it is”. The terms come from “voi là” meaning “see there” and “voi ici” meaning “see here”.

30 Storage space under rafters : ATTIC

Rafters are the beams that slope from the ridge of a roof down to the tops of the supporting walls.

33 “The King and I” setting : SIAM

“The King and I” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical based on a book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam” first published in 1944. Landon’s book is based on a true story, told in the memoirs of Anna Leonowens. Leonowens was the governess of the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the 1860s, and she also taught the king’s wives.

34 Like many Cirque du Soleil performers : ACROBATIC

Cirque du Soleil is an entertainment company based in Montreal. The company was founded in 1984 by two former street performers, and stages spectacular shows that are a dramatic mix of circus and street entertainment. I’ve seen several Cirque du Soleil shows over the years, and have thoroughly every single one.

53 “As Seen on TV” channel : HSN

The Home Shopping Network (HSN) was the first national shopping network, and was launched locally as the Home Shopping Club in Florida in 1982.

54 “My bad” : SORRY
55 Garment whose name sounds like 54-Down : SARI

The item of clothing called a “sari” (also “saree”) is a strip of cloth, as one might imagine, unusual perhaps in that it is unstitched along the whole of its length. The strip of cloth can range from four to nine meters long (that’s a lot of material!). The sari is usually wrapped around the waist, then draped over the shoulder leaving the midriff bare. I must say, it can be a beautiful item of clothing.

57 Rights org. : ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has its roots in the First World War. It grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau (CLB) that was founded to provide legal advice and support to conscientious objectors. The ACLU’s motto is “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself”. The ACLU also hosts a blog on the ACLU.org website called “Speak Freely”.

58 Flash of lightning : BOLT

The word “thunder” precedes the word “lightning” in the phrase “thunder and lightning”. However, thunder comes after lighting in reality, at least to the observer. The observer sees the flash of lightning and then seconds later hears the crash of thunder. That’s because light travels faster than sound.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Source of the line “The meek shall inherit the earth” : PSALMS
7 Dramatic exhalation : [SIGH!]
11 One of the two main branches of Islam : SHIA
15 Something not often seen on roofs anymore : AERIAL
16 World capital on a fjord : OSLO
17 Collectible caps of the 1990s : POGS
18 *Bygone Crayola color : LEMON YELLOW (lemon cake & yellow cake)
20 Case for small toiletries : ETUI
21 Superman’s adoptive family name : KENT
22 Penthouse perks : VIEWS
23 Org. affected by Title IX : NCAA
24 Buildup at the mouth of a river : DELTA
26 Utterly convinced of : SOLD ON
28 Do some stitching : SEW
29 Large wine vessel : VAT
31 Regarding : AS FOR
33 Tools with teeth : SAWS
36 Narcissistic trait : EGOTISM
39 Govt. pill-approving body : FDA
40 “___ bin ein Berliner” : ICH
41 *Sweet, healthful treat : FRUIT CUP (fruitcake & cupcake)
42 Very long time : EON
43 Melber of cable news : ARI
44 Brutish : APELIKE
45 Departed : WENT
46 Driving force? : MOTOR
48 Cul-de-___ : SAC
49 Month après avril : MAI
51 Deprived (of) : BEREFT
53 They’re rounded up in roundups : HERDS
55 Singer Bareilles : SARA
56 Citizens of Dubai and Abu Dhabi : ARABS
59 Workers’ rights org. since 1965 : EEOC
61 Butting heads : AT IT
62 *World’s largest terrestrial arthropod : COCONUT CRAB (coconut cake & crab cake)
65 Puerto ___ : RICO
66 Turnpike expense : TOLL
67 Actor Mickey of “The Wrestler” : ROURKE
68 Pastry decorator : ICER
69 Salacious stuff : SMUT
70 “Hold on … almost …!” : NOT YET …!

Down

1 Friend : PAL
2 Partner of hide : SEEK
3 Partner of dangerous : ARMED
4 Disney’s Nala, for one : LIONESS
5 Mickey of the Yankees : MANTLE
6 Like a wink or a nudge, maybe : SLY
7 Many sopranos’ songs : SOLI
8 Part of an archipelago : ISLE
9 Item waved at a rave : GLOW STICK
10 “In what way?” : HOW SO?
11 Opposite of saves : SPENDS
12 *Sign in a deli window, perhaps : HOT COFFEE (hotcake & coffee cake)
13 Large, herbivorous dinosaur that could walk on two legs : IGUANODON
14 Difficult area to maintain control of in the game Risk : ASIA
19 Perón of Argentina : EVA
25 Annoying, ignorable sort : TWERP
27 The letter “I” in Pixar’s logo : LAMP
29 “And there you have it!” : VOILA
30 Storage space under rafters : ATTIC
32 Vent vehemently : RANT
33 “The King and I” setting : SIAM
34 Like many Cirque du Soleil performers : ACROBATIC
35 *Staple of Japanese cuisine : WHITE RICE (white cake & rice cake)
37 Where visitors may stay : GUEST ROOM
38 “So ___!” (sarcastic retort) : SUE ME
41 Cost of a ride : FARE
45 Like some roomy jeans : WIDE-CUT
47 Figure of speech? : ORATOR
50 Childish comeback : ARE TOO!
52 Word repeated in “___ are ___” : FACTS
53 “As Seen on TV” channel : HSN
54 “My bad” : SORRY
55 Garment whose name sounds like 54-Down : SARI
57 Rights org. : ACLU
58 Flash of lightning : BOLT
60 Word that can follow either half of the answers to the starred clues : CAKE
63 Large tea vessel : URN
64 “You wanna ___?” : BET

12 thoughts on “0119-21 NY Times Crossword 19 Jan 21, Tuesday”

  1. 13:02. Not quite in sync with this tho I am a big fan of CAKE (just not of the COCONUT, CRAB, or RICE variety – guess I like 7 out of 10)!! Had 45A as LEFT for a long time and also misspelled ROURKE with an A instead of a U so it took me a while to see my way to 45D and get the jingle.

  2. 8:58, no errors. Preoccupied with other things and remember hardly anything about the puzzle (which is a tragedy, because I’m sure that, as I finished it, I had some deeply meaningful philosophical insights about it that I wanted to share with the world and that are now, sadly, lost forever … 😜).

  3. 11:18. Did this while constantly dialing Peace Health for a covid vaccine appt. Always got a busy signal. Woefully unprepared.

  4. 12:14, saw the theme, but not until after finishing. NE bogged me down. More concerning is Nonny’s losing the philosophical insight regarding the puzzle, now all I have left to look forward to is (hopefully) a puzzle related pun from Jeff 🙂

  5. 14:07. All kinds of issues here, and it’s only Tuesday? Got the theme easily enough but never really used it.

    Is there a difference between yellow cake and lemon cake? If yellow cake isn’t lemony, why is it yellow??

    No wonder I can’t ever get a jelly doughnut in Germany.

    Fortunately, I’m too good for EGOTISM so it’s not a concern of mine.

    Best –

  6. 14 minutes. Slow for a Tuesday. Yellowcake does not have a lemon flavor because it has no lemon flavoring.

  7. 29:45 no errors…if this is this setters idea of a Tuesday puzzle then I don’t want to come up against their version of a Thursday or Friday one.
    Stay safe😀
    Good luck getting a vaccine shot.

  8. 8:49, no errors, no problems. ARI Melber was the only clue that I was unfamiliar with. Seems like every cable news/talk station has an ‘ARI’.

  9. Well, this was not a “Piece of Cake” for me. Started out of the gate fast (even jotted down my starting time). But the solve got slower and slower and … all of these long “beast names” started showing up and had nothing to do with the theme? …unless I am still missing something. I think this puzzle was a little “hard/clever” for a Tuesday, but who am I to say; I’m glad I finished Monday with NO ERRORS. Not posted because, well it took me a VERY long time.

    Still love solving in my own way.
    Terry Bo

  10. Does anyone know what happened to Dimepiece LA celebrity streetwear brand? I seem to be unable to check out on Dimepiecela site. I have read in Marie Claire that they were bought out by a UK hedge fund in excess of $50 m. I have just bought the Dimepiece Winter Pom Pom Knit Cap from Amazon and totally love it xox

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