Constructed by: Sam Ezersky
Edited by: Will Shortz
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… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: None
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Bill’s time: 12m 36s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
15 One of the knights of the Round Table : GARETH
Sir Gareth is a Knight of the Round Table in the legend of King Arthur. Gareth is actually Arthur’s nephew.
16 Con ___ (musical direction) : BRIO
“Brio” is borrowed from Italian, in which language the term means “vigor and vivacity”. “Con brio” is a musical direction often found on a score, instructing the musicians to play “with energy, vigor”.
17 Lead-in to some water-dwelling “folk” : MER-
The mythological creatures named mermaids are usually depicted with the head and upper body of a human female, and with the tail of a fish. The term “mermaid” comes from the Old English “mere” meaning “sea, lake” and “maid” meaning “young woman”. The original mermaids were probably tail-less, with that “fishy” addition likely coming with comparison to classical sirens.
18 Car loan nos. : APRS
Annual percentage rate (APR)
19 How Superman often poses : AKIMBO
“Akimbo” is such a lovely word, I think (as in “arms akimbo”). I failed to dig up anything too exciting about the term’s etymology. It seems to stem from Middle English, “in kekbowe” or “on kenbow” meaning “bend in a curve”. When the arms are held akimbo, the hands are on the hips and the elbows are pointed outward.
21 Galoot : APE
“Galoot” is an insulting term describing an awkward or boorish man, an ape. “Galoot” comes from the nautical world, where it was originally what a sailor might call a soldier or marine.
29 Player of Julia in “Julie & Julia” : MERYL
Meryl Streep has had more nominations for an Academy Award than any other actor, which is both a tribute to her talent and the respect she has earned in the industry. I am not a huge fan of her earlier works but some of her recent movies are now on my list of all-time favorites. I recommend “Mamma Mia!” (you’ll either love it or hate it!), “Julie & Julia”, “It’s Complicated” and ”Hope Springs”.
Julia Child was an American chef who is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public. During WWII, Julia Child joined the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the predecessor to the CIA. She worked for the OSS in Washington, Ceylon and China. While in the OSS, she met her husband Paul Child who was also an OSS employee. Paul joined the Foreign Service after the war, and it was his posting to France that created the opportunity for Julie to learn about French cuisine. If you haven’t seen it, I highly, highly recommend the movie “Julie & Julia”, one of the best films of 2009. Meryl Streep does a fabulous job playing the larger-than-life Julia Child.
“Julie & Julia” is a wonderful 2009 Nora Ephron film that juxtaposes the lives of celebrity chef Julia Childs and home cook/blogger Julie Powell. Childs is played by Meryl Streep, and Powell by Amy Adams. Ephron’s screenplay is based on two nonfiction books: Child’s autobiography “My Life in France”, and Powell’s memoir “Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously”. Highly recommended …
34 2008 horror film sequel : SAW V
The “Saw” franchise of movies is gruesome in the extreme. I’ve only seen a few minutes of “Saw” footage (accidentally). The storylines center on imprisoned victims who are faced with having to mutilate themselves in order to escape. Ugh …
37 “Arthur” airer : PBS
“Arthur” is an educational TV show that started airing on PBS in 1996. The title character is an aardvark who regularly introduces children to important social issues such as dyslexia, cancer and autism. “Arthur” is the longest-running children’s animated show on US television, and is the second-longest running of any animated show, behind Fox’s “The Simpsons”.
45 Disassociate, as with a Bluetooth device : UNPAIR
Bluetooth is a standard for wireless technology that was introduced by Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson in 1994. The name was chosen in honor of Harald Bluetooth, a medieval King of Denmark and Norway. Harald is said to have earned his name because of his love of blueberries, which stained his teeth. Harald was said to have a gift for convincing diverse factions to talk to one another, so Ericsson’s communication protocol was given Harald’s name.
47 Bears: Lat. : URSI
Something described as ursine is related to a bear. The term “ursine” comes from “ursus” (plural “ursi”), Latin for “bear”.
48 D.O.J. V.I.P.s : AGS
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) was created in 1870 by the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant, although the office of the Attorney General (AG) had been operating since 1789. The DOJ Building in Washington, D.C. was completed in 1935, and was named the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in 2001.
49 Bass organ : GILL
A fish’s gills are the organs equivalent to the lungs of many land animals. The gills can extract oxygen dissolved in water and excrete carbon dioxide.
52 World Series opener : NATIONAL ANTHEM
The word “anthem” used to describe a sacred song, especially one with words taken from the Scriptures. The British national anthem (“God Save the Queen/King”) technically is a hymn, and so it came to be described as “the national hymn” and later “the national anthem”. The use of the word “anthem” extended from there to describe any patriotic song.
56 Savory snack in England : CORNISH PASTY
A pasty is a meat pie, traditionally filled with beef, potato, rutabaga (swede) and onion. The most famous variety of the pie is the Cornish pasty sold in Cornwall in England. Cornish miners brought the recipe with them as they emigrated, so various versions are found around the world. I always get a pasty when I am in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, for example.
Down
5 So-called “America’s Network” : T-MOBILE
T-Mobile is a German telecommunications company, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. Deutsche Telekom has used the “T” prefix for a number of its services, including T-Com, T-Online and T-Home.
7 Like a deaccessioned book, for short : EX LIB
A bookseller might inscribe a book with the words “Ex Lib” to indicate that it is an ex-library copy. The related term “ex libris” is another name for a “bookplate”, a label pasted into the front cover of a book to indicate its owner. “Ex libris” translates from Latin as “from the books of, from the library of …”
9 Make tracks, quaintly : HIE
To hie is to move quickly, to bolt.
10 One with a “Yes we can” attitude : OBAMA SUPPORTER
The 2008 campaign that resulted in the election of President Barack Obama used the slogan “Change we can believe in”, along with the associated chant “Yes We Can”. The words “Yes We Can” were perhaps borrowed from the United Farm Workers, which organization uses the motto “Sí, se puede”. “Sí, se puede” translates as “Yes, it is possible” and is a phrase very much associated with labor leader Cesar Chavez.
11 It was once a challenge to eat : TIDE POD
The dark side of social media struck again in late 2017 when “The Tide Pod Challenge” became an Internet sensation. Participants were eating Tide detergent pods on camera, and getting very sick and dangerously injured.
12 Compound found in latex : STYRENE
Styrene is a sweet-smelling, colorless liquid that is used to make the plastic called polystyrene, and the synthetic rubber called styrene-butadiene (SBR).
Latex is a naturally occurring polymer made by some plants that can also be made synthetically. About one in ten of the flowering plants in the world make the milky fluid called latex. It serves as a defense against insects and is exuded when a plant is injured or attacked by insects. Latex is collected commercially and is the source of natural rubber, which can be used to make things such as gloves, condoms and balloons.
13 Company at which business always comes before pleasure? : MERRIAM-WEBSTER
George and Charles Merriam founded their publishing company in 1831, and in 1843 purchased the rights to Noah Webster’s dictionary a few months after his death. Merriam-Webster has been publishing mainly dictionaries and reference books ever since.
23 What one of the Olympic rings represents: Abbr. : AFR
The symbol of the Olympic Games consists of five interlocking rings, with each ring representing one of the five continents involved in the Olympics. The five continents are Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and America (North and South combined). The symbol was designed in 1912, adopted in 1914, and introduced at the 1920 Games.
31 Polo of TV’s “The Fosters” : TERI
Teri Polo’s most prominent role on the big screen was Pam Focker in “Meet the Fockers” and its sequels. Pam is the wife of the character played by Ben Stiller. Polo also played the wife of Presidential candidate Matt Santos in “The West Wing”.
“The Fosters” is a teen drama TV show about a lesbian couple raising a blended family of biological, adopted and foster children. Originally airing from 2013 to 2018, Jennifer Lopez was involved in the show as an executive producer.
35 Comment that prompts the reply “Doitashimashite” : ARIGATO
“Domo arigato” is Japanese for “thank you very much”.
36 Bouillabaisse tidbit : SCALLOP
A scallop is a marine mollusk that is often served as seafood. Scallops are often served baked in milk and this method of preparation has become known as “scalloping”. So, scalloped potatoes are potatoes baked in milk.
Bouillabaisse is a traditional seafood stew that originated in the port city of Marseille on the Mediterranean coast of France. The term “bouillabaisse” comes from Provençal dialect meaning “boil and simmer”, or more literally “boil and lower (heat)”.
41 Actor profiled in the biography “The Immortal Count” : LUGOSI
Bela Lugosi was a Hungarian stage and screen actor who was perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1931 film “Dracula” and for playing the same role on Broadway. Lugosi found himself typecast for the rest of his career and almost always played the role of the villain, often in horror movies. When he passed away in 1956, his wife had him buried in the costume he wore playing Count Dracula on Broadway.
53 Man’s name that’s also a suffix : IAN
The name “John” translates into Scottish as “Ian”, into Russian as “Ivan”, into Italian as “Giovanni”, into Spanish as “Juan”, into Welsh as “Evan”, and into Irish as “Seán”.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Be in charge … as a doctor? : CALL THE SHOTS
13 Remains to be seen, say : MUSEUM EXHIBIT
14 “Sheesh, just move on!” : LET IT GO ALREADY!
15 One of the knights of the Round Table : GARETH
16 Con ___ (musical direction) : BRIO
17 Lead-in to some water-dwelling “folk” : MER-
18 Car loan nos. : APRS
19 How Superman often poses : AKIMBO
21 Galoot : APE
22 Small hybrid instrument with six strings : GUITALELE
24 Layperson? : MASON
26 Where you may be waited on hand and foot? : SPA
27 Make tracks : FLEE
28 “Where are your manners!” : RUDE!
29 Player of Julia in “Julie & Julia” : MERYL
31 Walk all over the place : TRAMP
34 2008 horror film sequel : SAW V
36 What frozen foods may do in paper grocery bags : SEEP
37 “Arthur” airer : PBS
40 Visibly dizzy, quaintly : AREEL
42 One might have a photographic memory : SCRAPBOOK
44 Strengthening crosspiece : RIB
45 Disassociate, as with a Bluetooth device : UNPAIR
47 Bears: Lat. : URSI
48 D.O.J. V.I.P.s : AGS
49 Bass organ : GILL
50 Pennsylvania city where the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers meet : EASTON
52 World Series opener : NATIONAL ANTHEM
55 Command to stop saluting : AT EASE, SOLDIER
56 Savory snack in England : CORNISH PASTY
Down
1 Something absolutely adorable, with “the” : … CUTEST
2 “___ happens …” : AS IT
3 Bad way to be poisoned : LETHALLY
4 Galoot : LUG
5 So-called “America’s Network” : T-MOBILE
6 “Get what I’m saying?” : HEAR ME?
7 Like a deaccessioned book, for short : EX LIB
8 Slangy psychedelic : ‘SHROOM
9 Make tracks, quaintly : HIE
10 One with a “Yes we can” attitude : OBAMA SUPPORTER
11 It was once a challenge to eat : TIDE POD
12 Compound found in latex : STYRENE
13 Company at which business always comes before pleasure? : MERRIAM-WEBSTER
14 Drink from a bowl, maybe : LAP UP
15 Jokes : GAGS
20 It’s below belowdecks : KEEL
23 What one of the Olympic rings represents: Abbr. : AFR
25 Word before or after strong : ARM
30 Predate? : EVE
31 Polo of TV’s “The Fosters” : TERI
32 Cans : REAR-ENDS
33 Twitch or Yelp : APP
34 River that begins in the Adirondacks : SARANAC
35 Comment that prompts the reply “Doitashimashite” : ARIGATO
36 Bouillabaisse tidbit : SCALLOP
38 Chest : BOSOM
39 It’s got you covered : SKIN
41 Actor profiled in the biography “The Immortal Count” : LUGOSI
42 Sensational coverage : SPLASH
43 Historic town NW of London where some of the Harry Potter series was filmed : BUSHEY
46 Wild cards in “baseball” poker : NINES
51 Working hard : AT IT
53 Man’s name that’s also a suffix : IAN
54 ___ vapeur (steamed) : A LA
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