0216-21 NY Times Crossword 16 Feb 21, Tuesday

Constructed by: Johanna Fenimore
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Beer Me!

Themed answers each include the name of a BEER:

  • 62A “I’ll have a cold one, please” … or a hint to 17-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across : BEER ME
  • 17A Stop before it can grow bigger : NIP IN THE BUD (giving “Bud”)
  • 26A British fashion designer who’s the daughter of Linda and Sir Paul : STELLA MCCARTNEY (giving “Stella”)
  • 43A Very rarely : ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (giving “Blue Moon”)
  • 57A Long, straight-sided smoke : CORONA CIGAR (giving “Corona”)

Bill’s time: 6m 27s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

7 Prime Cuts dog food brand : ALPO

Alpo is a brand of dog food introduced by Allen Products in 1936, with “Alpo” being an abbreviation for “Allen Products”. Lorne Greene used to push Alpo in television spots, as did Ed McMahon and Garfield the Cat, would you believe?

14 “Game of Thrones” actress Clarke : EMILIA

Daenerys Targaryen is a major character in the HBO show “Game of Thrones”, and the underlying series of novels by George R. Martin. On the small screen, she is played by English actress Emilia Clarke.

16 What truth is said to be the first casualty of : WAR

The famous quotation “The first casualty of war is truth” seems to be a tad self-referential in that the quotation is variously attributed without anyone seeming to be able to cite the original source. The version “The first casualty of when war comes is truth” is attributed to US politician Hiram Warren Johnson, in a speech to the US Senate as the chamber debated a decision to enter WWI. But, the line can’t be found in the Senate records. The version “In war, truth is the first casualty” is usually attributed to the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus, but in this case the line can’t be found in any of the playwright’s works.

17 Stop before it can grow bigger : NIP IN THE BUD (giving “Bud”)

The American beer Budweiser (often shortened to “Bud”) is named for the Czech town of Budweis (“České Budějovice” in Czech). The name is the subject of a dispute as here is an original Czech beer with a similar name, Budweiser Budvar. American Budweiser is sold in most European countries as “Bud”.

19 Ernst & Young employee, in brief : CPA

Certified public accountant (CPA)

Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four accountancy firms, alongside Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ernst & Young is headquartered in London. The company was founded in 1989 with the merger of Ernst & Whinney with Young & Co.

20 Martini’s lemon twist, e.g. : ZEST

The term “martini” probably takes its name from the “Martini & Rossi” brand of dry vermouth, although no one seems to be completely sure. What is clear is that despite the Martini name originating in Italy, the martini drink originated in the US. The original martini was made with gin and sweet vermouth, but someone specifying a “dry” martini was given gin and dry vermouth. Nowadays we use dry vermouth for all martinis, and the term “dry” has become a reference to how little vermouth is included in the drink. Famously, Noël Coward liked his drink very dry and said that a perfect martini is made by “filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy”. The German-American journalist and satirist H. L. Mencken referred to the martini as “the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet”.

21 Greek god pictured with wings and a bow : EROS

The name of Eros, the Greek god of love, gives rise to our word “erotic” meaning “arousing sexual desire”. Eros was referred to in Latin as both “Amor” (meaning “love”) and “Cupid” (meaning “desire”).

22 “Famous” cookie name : AMOS

Wally Amos was a talent agent, one who was in the habit of taking home-baked cookies with him as an enticement to get celebrities to see him. He was urged by friends to open a cookie store (the cookies were that delicious, I guess) and this he did in Los Angeles in 1975 using the name “Famous Amos”. The store was a smash hit and he was able to build on the success by introducing his cookies into supermarkets. The brand was eventually purchased, making Wally a rich man, and Famous Amos cookies are still flying off the shelf. Wally Amos also became an energetic literacy advocate. He hosted 30 TV programs in 1987 entitled “Learn to Read” that provided reading instruction targeted at adults.

23 Most arias : SOLI

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

26 British fashion designer who’s the daughter of Linda and Sir Paul : STELLA MCCARTNEY (giving “Stella”)

Stella McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of musician Paul McCartney (of Beatles fame) and photographer Linda McCartney nee Eastman.

The Belgian beer Stella Artois is named for the brewer Sebastianus Artois. Artois was the master brewer at the Den Hoorn Brewery in Leuven, Belgium in the early 1700s. The Den Hoorn Brewery has been around at least since 1366 … yes, 1366!

33 Foretell : AUGUR

The verb “to augur” means “to bode, serve as an omen”. The term comes from the name of religious officials in ancient Rome called augurs whose job it was to interpret signs and omens.

36 Club Med and others : RESORTS

Club Méditerranée is usually referred to as “Club Med”. It is a French company that started in 1950 with a resort on the Spanish island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean. It was originally a “club” with annual membership dues. Now it is an operator of numerous all-inclusive resorts located all over the world.

40 Where G.I.s go to shop : THE PX

A PX is a Post Exchange, a retail store operating on a US Army Base. The equivalent store on an Air Force Base is called a Base Exchange (BX).

43 Very rarely : ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (giving “Blue Moon”)

As there is a full moon once every four weeks, approximately monthly, there are usually twelve full moons in any given year. However, every 2-3 years, depending on the phase of the moon at the beginning of the calendar year, there may be a thirteenth full moon. The “extra” full moon is called a “blue moon”, although no one seems to really know why the term “blue” is used, as far as I can tell. Which of the thirteen full moons that is designated as the blue moon varies depending on tradition. My favorite definition is from the Farmer’s Almanac. It states that as each of the seasons normally has three full moons (one for each calendar month), then the season with four full moons is designated as “special”, then the third (and not the fourth) full moon in that “special” season is the blue moon. Complicated, huh?

Blue Moon is a beer that was introduced in 1995 as Bellyside Belgian White. Blue Moon is sold in Canada as Belgian Moon.

47 Bête ___ (bugaboo) : NOIRE

“Bête noire” translates from French as “black beast”, and is used in English to describe something or someone that is disliked.

49 ___ Storm and the Hurricanes (Ringo’s band before the Beatles) : RORY

Sir Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey. Before he joined the Beatles, replacing drummer Pete Best, Starkey played with the Raving Texans. It was with the Raving Texans that he adopted the name “Ringo Starr”, because he wore a lot of rings and he thought it sounded “cowboyish”. Back then his drum solos were billed as “Starr Time”.

56 Nelson Mandela’s org. : ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) started out as the South African Native National Congress in 1912 with the goal of improving the lot of black South Africans. After years of turmoil, the ANC came to power in the first open election in 1964.

As a young man, Nelson Mandela led the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). Mandela was eventually arrested and admitted to charges of sabotage and was sentenced to life in prison in 1964. He remained behind bars for 27 years, mainly in the infamous prison on Robben Island. As the years progressed, Mandela became a symbol of the fight against apartheid. He was released in 1990, and immediately declared his commitment to peace and reconciliation with South Africa’s white minority population. Mandela was elected president of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1994, an office that he held until 1999. Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.

57 Long, straight-sided smoke : CORONA CIGAR (giving “Corona”)

The most common shape of cigar is the “parejo”, with such cigars usually referred to as “coronas”.

The Mexican beer called Corona is the biggest-selling imported beer in the United States.

60 Brooks who directed “Blazing Saddles” : MEL

Mel Brooks’ real name is Melvin Kaminsky. Brooks is one of very few entertainers (there are only ten) who have won the “Showbiz Award Grand Slam” i.e. an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy. He is in good company, as the list also includes the likes of Richard Rogers, Sir John Gielgud, Marvin Hamlisch and Audrey Hepburn.

“Blazing Saddles” is a 1974 Mel Brooks movie that has become a modern-day classic. I really only enjoy one Mel Brooks film, and “Blazing Saddles” isn’t it. Just in case you’re interested, I very much enjoy “Young Frankenstein” …

Down

1 Luxury car nickname : BENZ

It is generally accepted that Karl Benz invented the internal combustion engine, although others were doing similar work around the same time. He certainly was awarded the first patent for an automobile, in 1886. His first automobile, the Patent-Motorwagen, couldn’t get up hills unaided so his wife Bertha Benz suggested the introduction of gears. Sure enough, the next model had two gears. Behind every successful man …

5 Sloth or envy, it’s said : SIN

The cardinal sins of Christian ethics are also known as the seven deadly sins. The seven sins are:

  • Wrath
  • Greed
  • Sloth
  • Pride
  • Lust
  • Envy
  • Gluttony

7 “Sweet land of liberty,” in song : AMERICA

The patriotic song “America” is also known by its first line, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”. The song was written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831, and was the de facto national anthem of the country until “The Star-Spangled Banner” was declared the official anthem in 1931. The melody of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” is identical with the British national anthem, “God Save the Queen”.

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From ev’ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!

8 Timber wolf : LOBO

The timber wolf is also known as the gray wolf, tundra wolf and lobo.

12 Truman who wrote “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” : CAPOTE

The larger-than-life Truman “Tru” Capote was an author and comedian. Capote is perhaps most associated with his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and his true crime novel “In Cold Blood”. Truman Capote grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. There he met, and became lifelong friends with, fellow novelist Harper Lee. Capote was the inspiration for the character “Dill” in Lee’s celebrated work “To Kill a Mockingbird”. In turn, Harper Lee was the inspiration for the character “Idabel” in Capote’s “Other Voices, Other Rooms”.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a 1958 novella written by Truman Capote. Truman’s colorful protagonist in the story is Holiday “Holly” Golightly, who was played so very, very ably by Audrey Hepburn in the marvelous 1961 movie adaptation. It must be said that the film is a rather loose interpretation of Capote’s novella.

18 Captain’s position : HELM

In its broadest sense, the term “helm” describes the whole of a ship’s steering mechanism, including the rudder and tiller. In a more specific sense, the helm is the handle, tiller or wheel that is used to control the steering gear.

22 Atelier : ART ROOM

An atelier is an artist’s studio, with “atelier” being the French word for “studio” or “workshop”.

23 Drink that can cause brain freeze : SLUSHIE

A slushie is a flavored frozen drink. The brand names Slurpee and ICEE are examples of the genre.

26 Hoagie : SUB

“Hoagy” (sometimes “hoagie”) is another name for a submarine sandwich. The term “hoagy” originated in Philadelphia, and was apparently introduced by Italians working in the shipyards during WWI. The shipyards were located on Hog Island, and the sandwich was first called “the Hog Island”, which morphed into “hoagy”.

27 Literary monogram : TSE

T. S. Eliot (TSE) was born in New England but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Much of Eliot’s college education was at Oxford, and clearly he became comfortable with life in England. In 1927 he became a British citizen and lived the rest of life in the UK.

28 Airplane capt.’s announcement : ETA

Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

29 Mega Millions, for one : LOTTERY

The Mega Millions lottery game is available in most states of the US, as is its major rival called Powerball.

35 Org. that monitors air quality : EPA

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

37 Onetime rival of MGM : RKO

The RKO Pictures studio was formed when RCA (RADIO Corporation of America) bought the KEITH-Albee-ORPHEUM theaters (and Joe Kennedy’s Film Booking Offices of America). The RKO initialism then comes from the words “Radio”, “Keith” and “Orpheum”.

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studio was founded in 1924 by Marcus Loew. Loew was already a successful movie theater owner when he purchased Metro Pictures Corporation in 1919, and then Goldwyn Pictures in 1924. Later in 1924, Loew also purchased Louis B. Mayer Pictures, mainly so that Louis B. Mayer could merge all three studios and run them himself as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

38 Chinese “way” : TAO

The name of the Chinese character “tao” translates as “path”, but the concept of Taoism signifies the true nature of the world.

39 Listing in Roget: Abbr. : SYN

Peter Mark Roget was an English lexicographer. Roget was an avid maker of lists, apparently using the routine of list-making to combat depression, a condition he endured for most of his life. He published his famous thesaurus in 1852, with revisions and expansions being made years later by his son, and then in turn by his grandson.

41 Popular video game console released in 2013 : XBOX ONE

The Xbox line of video game consoles is made by Microsoft. The original Xbox platform was followed by Xbox 360 and more recently by Xbox One. Microsoft’s Xbox competes directly with Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii.

44 Lunchtime tryst : NOONER

In the most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a pre-arranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting. Further, a tryst taking place at lunchtime is sometimes referred to as a nooner.

50 Place to see a Kandinsky or Calder : MOMA

The founding of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City was very much driven by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, wife of John D. Rockefeller. Working with two friends, Abby managed to get the museum opened in 1929, just nine days after the Wall Street Crash. The MoMA’s sculpture garden bears the name of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and has done so since 1949.

51 Symbol of militarism : ARES

The Greek god Ares is often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, but originally he was regarded as the god of bloodlust and slaughter. Ares united with Aphrodite to create several gods, including Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Terror) and Eros (Desire). Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, and the Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars.

52 Per ___ (daily) : DIEM

“Per diem” is the Latin for “by the day”. We tend to use the term for a daily allowance for expenses when traveling for work.

59 Corp. head : CEO

Chief executive officer (CEO)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Supremely cool person : BAD ASS
7 Prime Cuts dog food brand : ALPO
11 Do something : ACT
14 “Game of Thrones” actress Clarke : EMILIA
15 Shape, as clay : MOLD
16 What truth is said to be the first casualty of : WAR
17 Stop before it can grow bigger : NIP IN THE BUD (giving “Bud”)
19 Ernst & Young employee, in brief : CPA
20 Martini’s lemon twist, e.g. : ZEST
21 Greek god pictured with wings and a bow : EROS
22 “Famous” cookie name : AMOS
23 Most arias : SOLI
25 Chicken stock, e.g. : BROTH
26 British fashion designer who’s the daughter of Linda and Sir Paul : STELLA MCCARTNEY (giving “Stella”)
32 Something a Eur. singer might embark on : US TOUR
33 Foretell : AUGUR
34 “I haven’t a clue!” : BEATS ME!
36 Club Med and others : RESORTS
40 Where G.I.s go to shop : THE PX
42 “Um, I guess so” : OH, OKAY
43 Very rarely : ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (giving “Blue Moon”)
47 Bête ___ (bugaboo) : NOIRE
48 Feedbag fill : OATS
49 ___ Storm and the Hurricanes (Ringo’s band before the Beatles) : RORY
50 Skirt down to the ankles : MAXI
52 Not the brightest bulb in the pack : DOLT
56 Nelson Mandela’s org. : ANC
57 Long, straight-sided smoke : CORONA CIGAR (giving “Corona”)
60 Brooks who directed “Blazing Saddles” : MEL
61 Gathering clouds, to some : OMEN
62 “I’ll have a cold one, please” … or a hint to 17-, 26-, 43- and 57-Across : BEER ME
63 Lead-in to calculus : PRE-
64 Acid’s opposite : BASE
65 Acquire : COME BY

Down

1 Luxury car nickname : BENZ
2 Friend in France : AMIE
3 Some dance moves or stock market events : DIPS
4 Landed : ALIT
5 Sloth or envy, it’s said : SIN
6 Plopped down : SAT
7 “Sweet land of liberty,” in song : AMERICA
8 Timber wolf : LOBO
9 It makes an “A” even better : PLUS
10 Peculiar : ODD
11 “Pretty, pretty please” : AW, C’MON
12 Truman who wrote “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” : CAPOTE
13 Disreputable : TRASHY
18 Captain’s position : HELM
22 Atelier : ART ROOM
23 Drink that can cause brain freeze : SLUSHIE
24 Some crew team members : OARMEN
25 Items often used in front of mirrors : BRUSHES
26 Hoagie : SUB
27 Literary monogram : TSE
28 Airplane capt.’s announcement : ETA
29 Mega Millions, for one : LOTTERY
30 Mean-tempered mutt : CUR
31 Grow too old, as for an insurance benefit : AGE OUT
35 Org. that monitors air quality : EPA
37 Onetime rival of MGM : RKO
38 Chinese “way” : TAO
39 Listing in Roget: Abbr. : SYN
41 Popular video game console released in 2013 : XBOX ONE
43 Entrance to an interstate : ON RAMP
44 Lunchtime tryst : NOONER
45 Orbit : CIRCLE
46 Reclined : LAIN
50 Place to see a Kandinsky or Calder : MOMA
51 Symbol of militarism : ARES
52 Per ___ (daily) : DIEM
53 Figure that might give a child nightmares : OGRE
54 Symbol of gentleness : LAMB
55 Deuce topper : TREY
57 Corn throwaway : COB
58 Easy as ___ : ABC
59 Corp. head : CEO

12 thoughts on “0216-21 NY Times Crossword 16 Feb 21, Tuesday”

  1. 10:35. Nice selection of beer except I’m not a fan of Corona beer. Blue Moon is good but they serve it with an orange slice. Somehow that works though.

    Biggest issue for me was the SE. I had PIE before ABC and dove before LAMB. It took me a while to back out of those.

    I grew up in St. Louis and therefore have always had an affinity for Budweiser. I’ve ventured out and had other beers as my “regular” for a while (including Blue Moon) , but I always circle back to Budweiser. It’s just the right bite with the carbonation that helps it go down and smooth enough to drink it without getting too full. It’s perfect. Sorry, gotta go. I’m getting a little misty-eyed talking about Budweiser..

    Best –

  2. Very quick fill….

    Never, ever will I drink Bud. Yuck.

    Guiness first. Then I fall back to American weak beers like coors light, or anything Michelob.

  3. So the King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, that you’re going to be reading about tomorrow supplied essentially all of my groceries for almost thirty years and a large fraction thereof for ten more. I’m beginning to feel that some kind of dark cloud has recently descended upon the world … and me … 😳.

    1. @Nonny—-Your post sent me to the internet to find out what you were talking about. This is terrible. The only word you used that I disagree with was “recently”. The “some kind of dark cloud” has been over us for a long time.

  4. 10:16, no errors. Didn’t think I would see terms like BADASS and NOONER in a NYT puzzle. Throw in XBOX ONE and AW C’MON, and I would have bet money that this was constructed by a teenager, and lost.

  5. A quick fill in the North again today. Middle empty, and the South sparse. But the middle was the next to fall. Got stuck or CORONA (I saw the theme, but couldn’t find the beer), MOMA and BASE.

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