0503-21 NY Times Crossword 3 May 21, Monday

Constructed by: Ross Trudeau
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Reveal Answer: Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum

Themed answers end with the syllables in the fairy tale line “FEE-FI-FO-FUM”:

  • 60A Fairy tale chant from a giant … or the ends of the answers to the starred clues : FEE-FI-FO-FUM
  • 17A *Joe cool? : ICED COFFEE
  • 30A *Amenity for jet-setters : AIRPORT WI-FI
  • 37A *What investigators really want to know : THE INSIDE INFO
  • 46A *Aromatic fragrance with a French name : EAU DE PARFUM

Bill’s time: 5m 38s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

5 Senator Mike of Idaho : CRAPO

Mike Crapo was first elected US Senator for Idaho in 1998, after having served in the US House of Representatives for six years. He is a member of the Republican Party.

10 Its state fair is much visited by politicians : IOWA

The Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event in the nominating process for US presidential candidates since 1972.

14 Stream from a volcano : LAVA

Our word “volcano” comes from “Vulcano”, the name of a volcanic island off the coast of Italy. The island’s name comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. The Romans believed that the island of Vulcano was the chimney of the forge belonging to the god Vulcan. The Romans also believed that the eruptions on Mount Etna in Sicily were caused by Vulcan getting angry and working his forge so hard that sparks and smoke flew out of the top of the volcano.

15 Any episode of “Parks and Recreation,” now : RERUN

“Parks and Recreation” is a sitcom that started airing on NBC in 2009, and is a show that has grown on me. It stars the “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler. The creators of “Parks and Recreation” are part of the team responsible for the American version of “The Office”, so you’ll notice some similarities in the style of the two shows, and some actors that have appeared in both.

17 *Joe cool? : ICED COFFEE

It seems that no one really knows why we refer to coffee as “joe”, but we’ve been doing so since early in WWII.

19 Taj Mahal locale : AGRA

Agra is a medieval city on the banks of the river Yamuna in India. Agra was also the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658. The city is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

  • The Taj Mahal: the famous mausoleum built in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.
  • Agra Fort: the site where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond was seized.
  • Fatehpur Sikri: a historic city that’s home to well-preserved Mughal architecture.

20 Wall Street average, with “the” : … DOW

Dow Jones & Company was founded as a publishing house in 1882 by three newspaper reporters, Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. Today, the company’s most famous publication has to be “The Wall Street Journal”. In 1884, Charles Dow started reporting the average dollar value of the stock of eleven companies, an index which spawned a whole host of metrics that carry the Dow Jones name to this day. The most famous of these metrics is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), also known as “the Dow 30” or simply “the Dow”.

23 Annual TV awards : EMMYS

The Emmy Awards are the television equivalent of the Oscars from the world of film, the Grammy Awards in music and the Tony Awards for the stage. Emmy Awards are presented throughout the year, depending on the sector of television being honored. The most famous of these ceremonies are the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Daytime Emmy Awards. The distinctive name “Emmy” is a softened version of the word “immy”, the nickname given to the video camera tubes found in old television cameras. The Emmy statuette was designed by television engineer Louis McManus in 1948, and depicts a woman holding up an atom. McManus used his wife as a model for the woman.

26 Island nation in the western Pacific : PALAU

Palau is a tiny island nation lying 500 miles east of the Philippines, and 2,000 miles south of Japan. Palau was once a Spanish possession and was sold by Spain to Germany in the late 19th century. During WWI, Japan invaded the islands (Japan had declared war on Germany) and was awarded the islands as a territory by the League of Nations at the end of hostilities. In WWII the US took Palau from the Japanese in a bloody battle in 1944. Palau emerged from American administration in 1994 and is now a sovereign state.

29 Word before sauce or milk : SOY …

Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with a mold in the presence of water and salt. Charming …

What are known as soybeans here in the US are called “soya beans” in most other English-speaking countries. So, I drink soy milk here in America, but when I am over in Ireland I drink “soya milk”.

30 *Amenity for jet-setters : AIRPORT WI-FI

“Wi-Fi” is nothing more than a trademark, a trademark registered by an association of manufacturers of equipment that use wireless LAN (Local Area Network) technology. A device labeled with “Wi-Fi” has to meet certain defined technical standards, basically meaning that the devices can talk to each other. The name “Wi-Fi” suggests “Wireless Fidelity”, although apparently the term was never intended to mean anything at all.

36 The first “X” of X-X-X : TIC

When I was growing up in Ireland we played “noughts and crosses” … our name for the game tic-tac-toe.

43 A-to-zed lexicon, in brief : OED

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

The letter named “zed” has been around since about 1400, and derives from the Greek letter zeta. The spelling and pronunciation “zee”, used in America today, first popped up in the 1670s. The spelling and pronunciation “zed” is still used in Britain and Ireland.

A lexicon was originally just a dictionary, but we tend nowadays to use the term more to mean a vocabulary that relates to some specific area of activity.

46 *Aromatic fragrance with a French name : EAU DE PARFUM

In the world of perfumery, eau de parfum (EdP) is generally more concentrated than eau de toilette (EdT), which in turn is generally more concentrated than eau de cologne (EdC).

51 Color TV pioneer : RCA

Early television programming was broadcast in monochrome, i.e. black-and-white or grayscale. The introduction of color television built on the technology behind monochrome TV in the sense that color television images are a combination of three monochrome images. The colors of these three monochrome signals are red, green and blue (RGB).

52 Some investments, for short : CDS

A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a less-flexible and higher-paying savings account. Instead of depositing money into a savings account and earning interest periodically, one can open a CD. With a CD one deposits a minimum amount of money but must leave it there for a specified length of time. In return for committing the funds for a fixed period, one is given a higher interest rate than a savings account and can redeem that interest and the initial deposit when the term has expired. CDs are relatively low-risk investments as they are FDIC insured, just like savings accounts.

58 Bay Area hub, for short : SFO

The San Francisco Bay Area is served by three major airports: San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK) and San Jose (SJC).

59 Fit for military service : ONE-A

The US government maintains information on all males who are potentially subject to military conscription, using what is called the Selective Service System (SSS). In the event that a draft was held, men registered would be classified into groups to determine eligibility for service. Class 1-A registrants are those available for unrestricted military service. Other classes are 1-A-O (conscientious objector available for noncombatant service), 4-A (registrant who has completed military service) and 4-D (Minister of religion).

60 Fairy tale chant from a giant … or the ends of the answers to the starred clues : FEE-FI-FO-FUM

The line “fee-fi-fo-fum” (with various spellings) comes from the famous English fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Within the story, the giant at the top of the beanstalk utters a little poem when he detects the presence of Jack:

Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

68 Boston’s ___-Farber Cancer Institute : DANA

Boston’s Dana–Farber Cancer Institute is an eminent cancer hospital that is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. It was founded as the Children’s Cancer Research Center in 1947 by pediatric pathologist Sidney Farber, and the name was changed in 1974 to the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute in his honor soon after he died. A further name change took place in 1983 to recognize the support of the Dana Foundation.

69 Hockey puck, e.g. : DISK

Before wooden and rubber pucks were introduced in the late 1800s, ice hockey was played with balls. The first rubber pucks were made by cutting down rubber balls into the shape of discs.

71 Community facility that often has a gym and pool, in brief : YMCA

The YMCA (the Y) is a worldwide movement that has its roots in London, England. There, in 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded with the intent of promoting Christian principles through the development of “a healthy spirit, mind and body”. The founder, George Williams, saw the need to create YMCA facilities for young men who were flocking to the cities as the Industrial Revolution flourished. He saw that these men were frequenting taverns and brothels, and wanted to offer a more wholesome alternative.

Down

1 Mahershala of “Green Book” : ALI

Mahershala Ali is an actor and sometime rapper. Among the more memorable roles Ali has had are lobbyist Remy Danton in TV’s “House of Cards”, and Colonel Boggs in “The Hunger Games” series of movies. He also won Best Supporting Actor Oscars for playing Juan in the 2016 drama “Moonlight”, and Dr. Don Shirley in 2018’s “Green Book”.

8 Southwest tribe or one of its dwellings : PUEBLO

The Pueblo peoples are Native Americans from the American Southwest who are known for their construction of towns and villages comprising buildings made from adobe and stone. The Pueblo inhabited pit houses dug into cliffs prior to c. 1050 CE. After this date, they started to develop planned villages that included apartment-like structures often located on ledges of rock that were easy to defend. The largest of these villages extant today is the magnificent Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. It is a “must see” when visiting the area …

13 Tennis great Andre : AGASSI

Retired tennis professional Andre Agassi has been married to fellow player Steffi Graf since 2001. Agassi wrote an autobiography called “Open”, published in 2009. An amazing revelation in the book is that Agassi’s famous head of hair was actually a wig for much of his playing career. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to play tennis at his level with a rug stuck on?

18 ___ Nostra : COSA

Apparently, “Cosa Nostra” is the real name for the Italian Mafia. “Cosa Nostra” translates as “our thing” or “this thing of ours”. The term first became public in the US when the FBI managed to turn several members of the American Mafia. The Italian authorities established that “Cosa Nostra” was also used in Sicily when they penetrated the Sicilian Mafia in the 1980s. The term “Mafia” seems to be just a literary invention that has become popular with the public.

22 ___-frutti : TUTTI

The adjective “tutti-frutti” describes a prepared confection that has a combination of fruit flavors. “Tutti frutti” is Italian for “all fruits”.

23 Telepath’s “gift” : ESP

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

24 Means of defense that doesn’t actually have alligators : MOAT

A moat is a protective trench that surrounds a castle, say, or an exhibit in a zoo. A moat may or may not be filled with water.

25 Discovery Channel program that debunked popular beliefs : MYTHBUSTERS

“MythBusters” is an entertaining TV show that was originally hosted by Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. Prior to the launch of “Mythbusters”, Hyneman and Savage had both developed careers in the world of special effects. In the show, the hosts test the validity of myths and assumptions used in famous movie scenes.

27 Kind of reasoning : A PRIORI

In the world of philosophy, one can have “a priori” knowledge or “a posteriori” knowledge. A priori (“from the earlier”) knowledge is independent of experience, it is just known or assumed. For example, one might say that “all boys are males” is a priori knowledge. A posteriori knowledge relies on experience or some empirical evidence. For example, one might say that “boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADD” is a posteriori knowledge.

31 Red Roof ___ : INN

The Red Roof Inn chain of hotels was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1972, with the intent of providing affordable accommodation. The chain’s original slogan was “Sleep Cheap”.

38 “The Faerie Queene” woman : IRENA

“The Faerie Queene” is an epic poem by Edmund Spenser. It is one of the longest poems written in the English language.

39 Adroit : DEFT

The French for “to the right” is “à droit”, from which we get our word “adroit”. The original meaning of “adroit” was “rightly, properly”, but it has come to mean dexterous and skillful. Someone described as “maladroit” is unskilled and awkward.

41 Apex predator of the ocean : ORCA

An apex predator is at the top of a food chain, and has no other natural predators. Examples are the orca (“killer whale”) in the oceans, the lion in Africa, and the Tyrannosaurus in the days of the dinosaurs.

45 Rebuke to Marmaduke : BAD!

Marmaduke is the title character in a newspaper comic strip that has been drawn by Brad Anderson since 1954. Marmaduke is a Great Dane, and the pet dog of the Winslow family.

47 God, in the Torah : ADONAI

“Adonai” is a Hebrew name for God.

49 Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA

The Greek goddess Athena (sometimes “Athene”) is often associated with wisdom, among other attributes. In many representations. Athena is depicted with an owl sitting on her head. It is this linkage of the owl with the goddess of wisdom that led to today’s perception of the owl as being “wise”. Athena’s Roman counterpart was Minerva.

50 Peeve : MIFF

To miff is to put out, to tee off. “To miff” is a verb that has been around since the early 1600s. Interestingly, in 1824 Sir Walter Scott described the word “miffed” as “a women’s phrase”. That should get him a slap, I’d say …

61 Boston’s Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM

The original Liberty Tree was an elm that stood near Boston Common and marked the place where folks would rally in the build-up to the American Revolution. The symbolism of the Liberty Tree migrated across the Atlantic during the French Revolution. Revolutionaries planted “Les arbres de la liberté” as symbols of revolutionary hope.

64 Tar Heels’ sch. : UNC

“Tar Heel” is a nickname for anyone living in, or from, the state of North Carolina. As such, it is the nickname for an athlete of the University of North Carolina (UNC). No one seems to know for sure where the term “Tar Heel” originated, but it is thought to be related to the historical importance of the tar, pitch and turpentine industries that thrived in the state due to the presence of vast forests of pine trees.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Surrounded by : AMID
5 Senator Mike of Idaho : CRAPO
10 Its state fair is much visited by politicians : IOWA
14 Stream from a volcano : LAVA
15 Any episode of “Parks and Recreation,” now : RERUN
16 Toot one’s own horn : BRAG
17 *Joe cool? : ICED COFFEE
19 Taj Mahal locale : AGRA
20 Wall Street average, with “the” : … DOW
21 Backstabs : BETRAYS
23 Annual TV awards : EMMYS
26 Island nation in the western Pacific : PALAU
28 Opposite of yeses : NOS
29 Word before sauce or milk : SOY …
30 *Amenity for jet-setters : AIRPORT WI-FI
33 Trail : PATH
35 Neither’s partner : NOR
36 The first “X” of X-X-X : TIC
37 *What investigators really want to know : THE INSIDE INFO
42 [It’s c-c-old!] : [BRR!]
43 A-to-zed lexicon, in brief : OED
44 Attire : GARB
46 *Aromatic fragrance with a French name : EAU DE PARFUM
51 Color TV pioneer : RCA
52 Some investments, for short : CDS
53 Untagged, in a game of tag : NOT IT
54 What a red-faced emoji might mean : I’M MAD
56 Relaxing soak after a long day, maybe : HOT BATH
58 Bay Area hub, for short : SFO
59 Fit for military service : ONE-A
60 Fairy tale chant from a giant … or the ends of the answers to the starred clues : FEE-FI-FO-FUM
66 Make, as money : EARN
67 Not illuminated : UNLIT
68 Boston’s ___-Farber Cancer Institute : DANA
69 Hockey puck, e.g. : DISK
70 Animals symbolizing innocence : LAMBS
71 Community facility that often has a gym and pool, in brief : YMCA

Down

1 Mahershala of “Green Book” : ALI
2 PC alternative : MAC
3 “Now ___ heard everything!” : I’VE
4 Papa : DADDY
5 Bird that caws : CROW
6 Official with a whistle : REF
7 Little dog’s bark : ARF!
8 Southwest tribe or one of its dwellings : PUEBLO
9 Where meaningless words go in (and out the other) : ONE EAR
10 Letter-shaped construction support : I-BAR
11 Natural food producer : ORGANIC FARM
12 On guard against : WARY OF
13 Tennis great Andre : AGASSI
18 ___ Nostra : COSA
22 ___-frutti : TUTTI
23 Telepath’s “gift” : ESP
24 Means of defense that doesn’t actually have alligators : MOAT
25 Discovery Channel program that debunked popular beliefs : MYTHBUSTERS
26 Amateurs no more : PROS
27 Kind of reasoning : A PRIORI
31 Red Roof ___ : INN
32 Part of a bird or museum : WING
34 What’s rounded up in a roundup : HERD
38 “The Faerie Queene” woman : IRENA
39 Adroit : DEFT
40 University email ending : EDU
41 Apex predator of the ocean : ORCA
45 Rebuke to Marmaduke : BAD!
46 Bounced back, as a sound : ECHOED
47 God, in the Torah : ADONAI
48 Quantity of stew : POTFUL
49 Greek goddess of wisdom : ATHENA
50 Peeve : MIFF
55 Full of emotional swings : MOODY
57 Establishment that’s usually closed on Sundays : BANK
58 Poses for a photo : SITS
61 Boston’s Liberty Tree, e.g. : ELM
62 Whopper junior? : FIB
63 Kin, informally : FAM
64 Tar Heels’ sch. : UNC
65 Goat’s bleat : MAA!

10 thoughts on “0503-21 NY Times Crossword 3 May 21, Monday”

  1. 7:57 I was halfway done in 2:29 then started to struggle, especially around the area of 46A and 47D. Having TIFF vs MIFF messed up 47A, but already having the revealer helped fix that. And I had several fat fingers to find. Unfamiliar with ADONAI and 37A seemed a bit stilted – usually the “INSIDE SCOOP”. Good clue for 17A.

  2. 9:11 after laboriously finding and fixing a stupid error: I had entered DISC instead of DISK and failed to notice BANC sitting right there … in black and white … as plain as the nose on my face. My bad … 😳 … 😜.

  3. 6:40. I think the K in DISK/BANK was the last letter to fall so I looked carefully before committing to a C or K for DISK. Reveal made the theme pretty straightforward. That’s it. I’m out of things to say…

    Best –

  4. 9:35 I miss MythBusters…not being one who forked out the bucks for cable, it was always the bane of my wife’s existence if we stayed at hotels when Discovery channel was having a MythBusters marathon 🙂

  5. Missed ADONAI because I had EXUDEPARFUM.. I was thinking foreign word but EAU sure makes sense now.. also seems pretty obvious XDONAI is not a God in the Torah..

  6. About 20 min. With no errors…not sure Mr Trudeau knows what a Monday puzzle is supposed to look like👎
    Stay safe😀

  7. 8:51, no errors. I’ve learned to leave the questionable squares blank in cases like DISC/DISK until the last. Given the setters propensity toward using foreign words in English puzzles: why not DISC/BANC? Change the clue to “Establishment that’s usually closed on Dimanche”, and you have it.

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