Constructed by: Andrew J. Ries
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme None
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Bill’s time: 17m 14s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
18 One-pointer in horseshoes : LEANER
In the game of horseshoes, a ringer is scored when the tossed shoe lands around the target stake. A leaner is almost as good as a ringer, and is scored when a horseshoe lands upright or leans against the stake.
20 Pad : DIGS
“Digs” is short for “diggings” meaning “lodgings”. Where “diggings” came from, no one seems to know.
23 Econ. stat : GDP
A country’s Gross National Product (GNP) is the value of all services and products produced by its residents in a particular year. GNP includes all production wherever it is in the world, as long as the business is owned by residents of the country concerned. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is different, although related, and is the value of all services and goods produced within the borders of the country for that year.
32 “I’m ___, she’s mine” (repeated lyric in “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”) : HERS
Manfred Mann was a rock band from London in the sixties. The group was named for the keyboard player and co-founder Manfred Mann, who went on to form Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in the 1970s. The three huge hits recorded by Manfred Mann are “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”, “Pretty Flamingo” and “Mighty Quinn”.
33 Movement to reduce frivolous lawsuits : TORT REFORM
“Tort” is a French word meaning “mischief, injury or wrong”. In common law, a tort is a civil wrong that results in the injured party suffering loss or harm, and the injuring party having a legal liability. Tort law differs from criminal law in that torts may result from negligence and not just intentional actions. Also, tort lawsuits may be decided on a preponderance of evidence, without the need of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
38 Renowned football club founded in 1899 : AC MILAN
The famous Italian soccer club Associazione Calcio Milan is better known as AC Milan. AC Milan has won four world club titles, more than any club in the game anywhere. The team’s home ground is San Siro, which has a capacity of just over 80,000, the highest in the country. AC Milan is owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
40 “Vice” principal? : DICK CHENEY
“Vice” is a very interesting and entertaining 2018 biopic that tells the story of the road Dick Cheney took to become possibly the most powerful US vice president in history. Christian Bale does a remarkable job playing Cheney, with Amy Adams playing Cheney’s wife Lynne Vincent Cheney. Anyone thinking about viewing “Vice” should be aware that there’s a lot of satire included …
42 T-Bonz treats 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?
43 Bob ___, Canadian ambassador to the U.N. : RAE
Bob Rae is a former politician who was the interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada for almost two full years starting in 2011. Rae was replaced by Justin Trudeau as party leader in 2013.
44 Curve cutter : SCROLL SAW
A scroll saw is a power saw used to create curves by pivoting its table. The tool’s name comes from the traditional art of ornamental and graphic design.
50 Resort with a “no snowboarders” policy : ALTA
Alta ski resort actually lies within the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Area. The first ski lift in the resort was opened way back in 1939. Today, Alta is one of only three ski resorts in the country that prohibits snowboarding (along with Deer Valley, Utah and Mad River Glen, Vermont. The ski resort of Snowbird, located next to Alta, has been in operation since 1971.
57 Discipline based on the principles of yin and yang : TAI CHI
More correctly called “t‘ai chi ch‘uan”, tai chi is a martial art that is mostly practiced to improve overall health and increase longevity.
59 White House reception locale : EAST ROOM
The magnificent East Room is the largest room in the White House. It was also one of the last rooms to be finished, so Abigail Adams hung laundry there when it was in its unfinished state. Nowadays of course the East Room is used for entertaining and formal ceremonies. I’ve never had the privilege of touring the White House, but I have been in a replica of the East Room that can be visited at the Nixon Presidential Library in Southern California.
64 Brand whose famous slogan contains a double negative : SARA LEE
In 1935, businessman Charles Lubin bought a chain of three bakeries in Chicago called Community Bake Shops, and soon expanded the operation into seven stores. Lubin introduced a cream cheesecake that he named after his daughter who was only 8-years-old at the time, Sara Lee Lubin. The cheesecake was a hit and he renamed the bakeries to Kitchen of Sara Lee. The business was bought out by Consolidated Foods in 1956, but the brand name Sara Lee persists to this day, as does Ms. Sara Lee herself who now goes by the name Sara Lee Schupf.
“Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee” is an advertising slogan used by Sara Lee.
Down
2 905-year-old in Genesis : ENOS
Enos was the son of Seth, and therefore the grandson of Adam and Eve, and nephew of Cain and Abel. According to the ancient Jewish work called the Book of Jubilees, Enos married his own sister Noam.
3 Clash of the titans? : EGOS
The Titans were a group of twelve older deities in Greek mythology, the twelve children of the primordial Gaia and Uranus, Mother Earth and Father Sky. In the celebrated Battle of the Titans, they were overthrown by the Olympians, who were twelve younger gods. We use the term “titan” figuratively to describe a powerful person, someone with great influence.
4 Throws in the towel : RESIGNS
The expression “to throw in the towel” means “to give up”, and comes from the world of boxing. In boxing, when someone in the corner feels that a fight needs to be stopped, he or she throws a towel into the ring and accepts the loss. Back in the 1700s, it wasn’t a towel that was thrown into the ring, but rather a sponge.
6 Great ___ : APE
The tailless primates known as apes (also “hominoids”) are divided into two main branches: gibbons (lesser apes) and hominids (great apes). The hominids are the great apes, and belong to the family of primates called Hominidae. Extant genera that make up the family Hominidae are:
- chimpanzees
- gorillas
- humans
- orangutans
8 Model’s makeup, often : BALSA
Balsa is a very fast-growing tree that is native to parts of South America. Even though balsa wood is very soft, it is actually classified as a hardwood, the softest of all the hardwoods (go figure!). Balsa is light and strong, so is commonly used in making model airplanes. Amazingly, in WWII a full-size British plane, the de Havilland Mosquito, was built largely from balsa and plywood. No wonder they called it “The Wooden Wonder” and “The Timber Terror”.
10 Bit for a fortuneteller : TEA LEAF
Tasseography is the reading of fortunes by interpreting the patterns of tea leaves, coffee grounds and wine sediments that are left in the bottom of a cup or glass.
12 First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA
Elena Kagan was the Solicitor General of the United States from 2009 until 2010, when she replaced Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court. That made Justice Kagan the first female US Solicitor General and the fourth female US Supreme Court justice. Kagan also served as the first female dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009.
27 Jazz trumpeter Jones : THAD
Thad Jones was a jazz trumpeter and bandleader from Pontiac, Michigan. Thad came from a very musical family. His older brother was Hank Jones the jazz pianist, and his younger brother was Elvin Jones the jazz drummer.
28 Offer you might have less interest in, for short? : REFI
Refinance (refi)
29 Ones who might use oils in a pan? : ART CRITICS
To pan something is to criticize it harshly.
34 Fabric made from cellulose : RAYON
Rayon is a little unusual in the textile industry in that it is not truly a synthetic fiber, but nor can it be called a natural fiber. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring cellulose that is dissolved and then reformed into fibers.
35 Seacrest’s partner on morning TV : RIPA
When Kelly Ripa secured the co-host spot on morning television with Regis Philbin, she was still acting in “All My Children” in a role she had been playing for over ten years. After a year of holding down two jobs, she eventually gave up the acting gig. Ripa has acted as spokeswoman for several brands over the years, including Electrolux and Rykä.
Radio and television personality Ryan Seacrest is best known as the host of the talent show “American Idol”. Seacrest has also been hosting “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC since 2005, and co-hosting “Live with Kelly and Ryan” since 2017. He is also a producer, and is the man behind the show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”. Ryan has a lot to answer for …
41 Home of Jinnah International Airport : KARACHI
Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. Karachi was the country’s capital when Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947. The capital was moved to Rawalpindi in 1958, and then to the newly built city of Islamabad in 1960.
42 Province named for a daughter of Queen Victoria : ALBERTA
Alberta (Alta.) is a big province, one about the size of Texas. Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Princess Louise also donated her name to Lake Louise, the large glacial lake in the province, now within the bounds of Banff National Park.
55 Antithesis of light reading? : TOME
“Tome” first came into English from the Latin “tomus” which means “section of a book”. The original usage in English was for a single volume in a multi-volume work. By the late 16th century, “tome” had come to mean “large book”.
56 Aide to Captain Hook : SMEE
In J. M. Barrie’s play and novel about Peter Pan, Smee is one of Captain Hook’s pirates and is Hook’s bosun and right-hand man. Smee is described by Barrie as being “Irish” and “a man who stabbed without offence”. Nice guy! Captain Hook and Smee sail on a pirate ship called the Jolly Roger.
58 “___ Your Dog, Charlie Brown” (TV special) : HE’S
Charlie Brown is the main character in the long-running comic strip called “Peanuts”, created by Charles Schulz. Charlie’s catchphrase is “good grief”. He has several persistent frustrations in his life, including an inability to fly a kite. The focus of his kite-flying frustration is the dreaded Kite-Eating Tree.
60 “Finding Nemo” setting : SEA
“Finding Nemo” is a 2003 animated blockbuster from Pixar. The film was the winner of the Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature. Believe it or not, “Finding Nemo” is the best-selling DVD of all time and, until 2010’s “Toy Story 3”, it was the highest-grossing, G-rated movie at the box office.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Building with many drafts : BEER BAR
8 Got clean : BATHED
14 “Heavenly” dessert with a lemony filling : ANGEL PIE
16 Space between the ribs of an insect wing : AREOLA
17 Unresolved detail : LOOSE END
18 One-pointer in horseshoes : LEANER
19 Woman’s name that sounds like two letters of the alphabet : ESSIE
20 Pad : DIGS
22 Without a match : LONE
23 Econ. stat : GDP
25 Enticing spot : TEASER AD
27 Gay rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson, for one : TRANS ICON
31 Bud’s place : EAR
32 “I’m ___, she’s mine” (repeated lyric in “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”) : HERS
33 Movement to reduce frivolous lawsuits : TORT REFORM
37 Early p.m. : AFT
38 Renowned football club founded in 1899 : AC MILAN
39 Golfer’s concern : LIE
40 “Vice” principal? : DICK CHENEY
42 T-Bonz treats brand : ALPO
43 Bob ___, Canadian ambassador to the U.N. : RAE
44 Curve cutter : SCROLL SAW
46 “Isn’t that strange?” : WEIRD, HUH?
49 Collar : NAB
50 Resort with a “no snowboarders” policy : ALTA
51 More than outstanding : EPIC
53 They produce results : TESTS
57 Discipline based on the principles of yin and yang : TAI CHI
59 White House reception locale : EAST ROOM
61 Leaves a grave impression, perhaps : ETCHES
62 What’s not working? : FREE TIME
63 Protester’s cry : RESIST!
64 Brand whose famous slogan contains a double negative : SARA LEE
Down
1 Roll in the hay? : BALE
2 905-year-old in Genesis : ENOS
3 Clash of the titans? : EGOS
4 Throws in the towel : RESIGNS
5 Runs : BLEEDS
6 Great ___ : APE
7 Tough skin : RIND
8 Model’s makeup, often : BALSA
9 Is for more? : ARE
10 Bit for a fortuneteller : TEA LEAF
11 90s groups? : HONOR ROLLS
12 First name on the Supreme Court : ELENA
13 Had the gall : DARED
15 Post master? : EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
21 Not so hard : GENTLER
24 Topic for a voice coach : PITCH
26 Taken in : SEEN
27 Jazz trumpeter Jones : THAD
28 Offer you might have less interest in, for short? : REFI
29 Ones who might use oils in a pan? : ART CRITICS
30 Surfaces : COMES UP
34 Fabric made from cellulose : RAYON
35 Seacrest’s partner on morning TV : RIPA
36 Cat’s ‘sup? : MEOW
38 Didn’t just excel on : ACED
41 Home of Jinnah International Airport : KARACHI
42 Province named for a daughter of Queen Victoria : ALBERTA
45 Second : LATTER
46 Word with hold or holy : … WATER
47 Lift up : ELATE
48 Job that usually requires a face covering : HEIST
52 Parts of roller coasters : CARS
54 Potter’s substance : SOIL
55 Antithesis of light reading? : TOME
56 Aide to Captain Hook : SMEE
58 “___ Your Dog, Charlie Brown” (TV special) : HE’S
60 “Finding Nemo” setting : SEA
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13 thoughts on “0528-21 NY Times Crossword 28 May 21, Friday”
Comments are closed.
17:32, no errors.
10:23. 11D was kind of a clever clue; at first I was thinking something beginning with “nona”, which threw me until I got the ROLL part of it.
16:37 Never heard the expressions for 1A and 14A and a new meaning for AREOLA. Had to change ELSIE to ESSIE to get the jingle. Had NYLON before RAYON, PAR before LIE, and CLAY before SOIL. Even with that I was 37 seconds faster than @Bill on a Friday!! WEIRD HUH??
29:40. I think I’m still suffering from jetlag. I struggled with this one all the way through.
BREWPUB/BEERPUB/BEERBAR ate up a lot of time as did putting ARSENAL before ACMILAN. Also had several other missteps that weren’t as spectacular.
No idea what a TRANSICON was until I looked a little harder….TRANS ICON. Whatever. No comment.
Grade A cluing in this one. Felt Saturday-ish to me, but my mind is moving in slow motion.
Best –
Whatever? You are deep dude.
49:29, your times are all safe! Same traps as Jeff with “Arsenal” vs. “ACMilan”, “beer pub”vs “beer bar”; same as Ron with “Elsie” vs. “Essie” after I realized “Enol” made no sense. All these same problems, just much longer than the rest of humanity…
Erred on 31A. Used BAR instead of EAR.. But that made SBEN for 26D.. ahhh, so what..
30:52, no errors. Utterly boring.
Find a new hobby dude.
Under 55 min. and of course 1 error…ROE FOR RAE.
Not a fan of the clueing at all👎
Stay safe😀
Does anyone else agree that Sara Lee’s great mistake, and our great loss, was when they discontinued their wonderful chocolate cake?
Discontinuing their butter coffee cake was a bigger crime, but yes.
Best –
30:42, 2 errors: K(I)RACHI/R(I)E. Eventually hammered through this.