0926-21 NY Times Crossword 26 Sep 21, Sunday

Constructed by: Priyanka Sethy & Matthew Stock
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme Study Breaks

Circled letters in the grid spell out “CUT CLASS”. Each of those letters CUTS into a CLASS that’s hidden in the themed answer:

  • 21A Function whose output is 45° when applied to 1 : ARC TANGENT (CUT “ART”)
  • 26A Premium membership designation : ELITE STATUS (CUT “STATS”)
  • 42A It lets you see the sites : INTERNET CONNECTION (CUT “ECON”)
  • 60A Holders of multiple passports : DUAL CITIZENS (CUT “LIT”)
  • 74A First openly lesbian anchor to host a major prime-time news program : RACHEL MADDOW (CUT “CHEM”)
  • 92A Ones fighting for change : POLITICAL ACTIVISTS (CUT “CALC”)
  • 108A Hempseed product : CANNABIS OIL (CUT “BIO”)
  • 119A Bringing up the rear : LAST IN LINE (CUT “LATIN”)

Bill’s time: 19m 49s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

6 With 27-Down, island nation near Indonesia : EAST …
(27D See 6-Across : … TIMOR)

Timor is an island in Maritime Southeast Asia. The island is politically divided into West Timor, belonging to Indonesia, and the independent state of East Timor. The name “Timor” comes from a Malay word for “east”, and is used as Timor lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands.

14 E, in Morse code : DIT

Samuel Morse came up with the forerunner to modern Morse code for use on the electric telegraph, of which he was the co-inventor. Morse code uses a series of dots and dashes to represent letters and numbers. The most common letters are assigned the simplest code elements e.g. E is represented by one dot, and T is represented by one dash. When words are spelled aloud in Morse code, a dot is pronounced as “dit”, and a dash is pronounced as “dah”.

17 Inauguration Day activity : SWEARING IN

Inauguration Day is on January 20th in the year following the November election of a US President. This date is called out in the Twentieth Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified by the states in 1933.

21 Function whose output is 45° when applied to 1 : ARCTANGENT (CUT “ART”)

The most familiar trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent (abbreviated to “sin, cos and tan”). Each of these is a ratio: a ratio of two sides of a right-angled triangle. The “reciprocal” of these three functions are cosecant, secant and cotangent. The reciprocal functions are simply the inverted ratios, the inverted sine, cosine and tangent. These inverted ratios should not be confused with the “inverse” trigonometric functions e.g. arcsine, arccosine and arctangent. These inverse functions are the reverse of the sine, cosine and tangent.

24 Some whiskeys : RYES

For whiskey to be labelled as “rye” in the US, it has to be distilled from at least 51% rye grain. In Canada however, a drink called rye whiskey sometimes contains no rye at all.

32 Sashimi selection : AHI TUNA

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish, although it can also be raw meat. The word “sashimi” translates literally as “pierced body”, which may be a reference to the practice of sticking the tail and fin to sliced fish to identify it.

36 Language of the 18th-century poet Mir Taqi Mir : URDU

Urdu is one of the two official languages of Pakistan (the other being English), and is one of the 22 scheduled languages in India. Urdu partly developed from Persian and is written from right to left.

46 Rice dish : PILAF

“Pilaf” is a Persian word, one that we use to describe rice that is browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth.

59 Hyphenated beverage brand : HI-C

Hi-C orange drink was created in 1946, and introduced to the market in 1948, initially in the south of the country. The name “Hi-C” was chosen to emphasize the high vitamin C content in the drink, as it contained added ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

60 Holders of multiple passports : DUAL CITIZENS (CUT “LIT”)

As a result of a League of Nations conference in 1920, passports are usually written in French and one other language. French was specified back then as it was deemed the language of diplomacy. US passports use French and English, given that English is the nation’s de facto national language. Spanish was added as a language for US passports in the late nineties, in recognition of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico.

65 Transcript fig. : GPA

Grade point average (GPA)

72 Honey ___ (Special K flavor) : OAT

We’ve been eating Special K since 1956. One has to give credit to the marketing folks at Kellogg’s, as I am sure we all view special K as a diet breakfast cereal. In fact, there is more fat in Special K than Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, and just one less calorie per serving.

74 First openly lesbian anchor to host a major prime-time news program : RACHEL MADDOW (CUT “CALC”)

We used to be able to listen to “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Air America Radio before the radio station went bust. Now we can see Maddow on a TV show with the same name, every night on MSNBC. She was the first openly gay anchor to host a primetime news program in the US.

77 Pond fish : KOI

Koi are fish that are also known as Japanese carp. Koi have been bred for decorative purposes and there are now some very brightly colored examples found in Japanese water gardens.

87 ___ soap : LYE

Soap is basically made by adding a strong alkali (like lye) to a fat (like olive oil or palm oil). The fats break down in the basic solution in a process called saponification. The crude soap is extracted from the mixture, washed, purified and finished in molds.

99 Start of a rendezvous request : MEET ME …

A rendezvous is a meeting. The noun used in English comes from the French phrase “rendez vous” meaning “present yourselves”.

100 2019 jukebox musical featuring the song “Proud Mary” : TINA

“Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” is described as a jukebox musical that premiered in London in 2018. It tells the life story of rock ‘n roll legend Tina Turner. I haven’t seen this one, and would love to do so …

“Proud Mary” is a song written by John Fogerty and recorded in 1968 by Creedence Clearwater Revival with Fogarty singing lead vocals. The song was famously covered by Ike and Tina Turner in 1970. The “Proud Mary” in the title is a riverboat, with a “big wheel” that keeps on turnin’.

106 “___ a Crime” (2016 Trevor Noah memoir) : BORN

Trevor Noah is a comedian from Johannesburg, South Africa. Noah took over as host of the Comedy Channel’s “The Daily Show” after Jon Stewart retired. Noah can speak several languages, including English, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, and German.

108 Hempseed product : CANNABIS OIL (CUT “BIO”)

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive in cannabis.

118 End of an era? : ONE BC

The designations Anno Domini (AD, “year of Our Lord”) and Before Christ (BC) are found in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The dividing point between AD and BC is the year of the conception of Jesus, with AD 1 following 1 BC without a year “0” in between. The AD/BC scheme dates back to AD 525, and gained wide acceptance soon after AD 800. Nowadays a modified version has become popular, with CE (Common/Christian Era) used to replace AD, and BCE (Before the Common/Christian Era) used to replace BC.

122 Kind of syrup that’s an alternative to honey : AGAVE

Agave nectar (also “agave syrup”) is sweeter than honey, but is much more fluid. The nectar’s sweetness comes from its high fructose content. A lot of agave nectar comes from the blue agave, the same species that is used to make tequila.

123 Homeland of many Paiute and Shoshone : GREAT BASIN

The Great Basin is a large region of the US covering most of Nevada, much of Utah and some parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and California. The 200,000 square mile area drains internally, with all precipitation sinking underground or flowing into lakes. Most of the lakes in the Great Basin are saline, including the Great Salt Lake, Pyramid Lake and the Humboldt Sink.

125 “Spy Kids” actress Hatcher : TERI

Teri Hatcher’s most famous role is the Susan Mayer character on the TV comedy-drama “Desperate Housewives”. I’ve never seen more than a few minutes of “Housewives” but I do know Teri Hatcher as a Bond girl, as she appeared in “Tomorrow Never Dies”. More recently, she portrayed Lois Lane on the show “Lois & Clark”.

“Spy Kids” is a 2001 starring Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara as the children of two rival spies. By the time the film is over, the kids have proven themselves as spies in their own right.

126 “So true!” : AMEN!

The word “amen” translates as “so be it”. “Amen” is said to be of Hebrew origin, but it is also likely to be influenced by Aramaic and Arabic.

127 One of two poles : ANODE

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electric energy. A simple battery is made up of three parts: a cathode, an anode and a liquid electrolyte. Ions from the electrolyte react chemically with the material in the anode producing a compound and releasing electrons. At the same time, the electrolyte reacts with the material in the cathode, absorbing electrons and producing a different chemical compound. In this way, there is a buildup of electrons at the anode and a deficit of electrons at the cathode. When a connection (wire, say) is made between the cathode and anode, electrons flow through the resulting circuit from the anode to cathode in an attempt to rectify the electron imbalance.

Down

1 “May God bless and keep the ___ … far away from us!” (“Fiddler on the Roof” line) : TSAR

The enduring musical “Fiddler on the Roof” is based on a collection of stories by Sholem Aleichem about Tevye, a milkman living in Tsarist Russia. The musical version of the tales first opened on Broadway in 1964. “Fiddler on the Roof” had such a long run that it became the first musical to reach 3,000 performances.

3 Winans with 12 Grammys : CECE

CeCe Winans (real given name “Priscilla”) is a Gospel music singer. She is part of a duo with her brother, BeBe Winans (real name Benjamin).

4 Panko-breaded chicken dish : KATSU

Panko is a breadcrumb used in some Japanese cuisine, primarily as a crunchy coating for fried foods.

6 Fence line? : EN GARDE

“En garde” is a French term that has been absorbed into the sport of fencing. Originally a warning (meaning “on guard!”), it is spoken at the start of an encounter to warn the fencers to take a defensive position.

9 Purchase for Wile E. Coyote : TNT

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner are two much-loved cartoon characters from Warner Bros. Wile E. Coyote was created first, and Road Runner was invented as someone for Wile E. to play off. I love this cartoon; it’s definitely one of the best …

10 Sleeveless undergarment, informally : CAMI

A camisole (also “cami”) is a sleeveless undergarment worn by women that extends down to the waist. “Camisole” is a French word that we imported into English that ultimately derives from the Latin “camisia” meaning “shirt, nightgown”.

16 Thompson of “Sorry to Bother You” : TESSA

Tessa Thompson is an actress from Los Angeles who is known for playing the supporting role of Jackie Cook on the TV show “Veronica Mars”, and for playing student leader Diane Nash in the 2014 film “Selma”.

19 Soda cracker, by another name : SALTINE

F. L. Sommer & Company of St. Joseph, Missouri started to produce wafer thin soda crackers in 1876. The crackers were later marketed as “Saltines”, due to the baking salt that was a key ingredient. The company subsequently lost trademark protection of the term “saltine”.

34 Alex and ___ (jewelry chain) : ANI

The jewelry retailer Alex and Ani was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Cranston, Rhode Island. The founder Carolyn Rafaelian named her business for her two daughters: Alex and Ani.

35 Mo. metropolis : STL

The city of St. Louis, Missouri was settled by French explorers in 1763. Sitting on the Mississippi River, it grew into a very busy port. By the 1850s, it was the second busiest port in the country, with only New York moving more freight. St. Louis was named for Louis IX of France. Louis was canonized in 1297 by Pope Boniface VIII, and was the only French king to be declared a saint.

37 Early development sites : UTERI

“In utero” is a Latin term meaning “in the uterus”. The Latin “uterus” (plural “uteri”) translates as both “womb” and “belly”. “Uterys” comes from the Greek “hystera” that also means “womb”, which gives us the words “hysterectomy”, and “hysterical”.

44 Celia known as the “Queen of Salsa” : CRUZ

Celia Cruz was born and grew up in Cuba, but spent most of her working life in the United States, playing out her salsa singing career in New Jersey. Around the world, Cruz was known as the “Queen of Salsa”.

51 Muralist Rivera : DIEGO

Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter who was famous for his murals. His wife was the equally famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

58 Tometi who co-founded Black Lives Matter : OPAL

Opal Tometi is a Nigerian-born human rights activist who co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, along with Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors. One of Tometi’s major contributions was setting up the social media aspects of the movement.

70 Ornate tea vessel : SAMOVAR

The samovar originated in Russia. It is a water boiler, one usually used for making tea. As such, there is often an attachment on top of a samovar to keep a teapot warm.

79 Lakeside city that’s at one end of I-79 : ERIE

Interstate 79 runs from Charleston, West Virginia in the south to Erie, Pennsylvania in the north.

84 Jane of “9 to 5” : FONDA

Jane Fonda is the daughter of Henry Fonda, sister of Peter Fonda, and aunt of Bridget Fonda, making the Fondas quite the acting family. Jane Fonda had many memorable screen performances, but is equally memorable for her anti-war activism. Most famously she was outspoken against the Vietnam War, going so far as to visit North Vietnam during the height of the conflict in 1972, posing for photographs and making radio broadcasts denouncing American leaders as “war criminals”. For her stance, Fonda was nicknamed “Hanoi Jane”.

“9 to 5” is a really fun movie (with a great theme song of the same name) released in 1980 that tells the story of three female office workers getting their revenge on their sexist boss. It has a great cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman. There is now a stage version of the movie called “9 to 5: The Musical”, that premiered in LA in 2009. I hear it is heading out on tour, and that’s one I definitely have to see …

90 Letter that rhymes with three other letters : ETA

The four rhyming Greek letters are: beta, zeta, eta and theta.

91 Phishing target, for short : SSN

Phishing is the online practice of stealing usernames, passwords and credit card details by creating a site that deceptively looks reliable and trustworthy. Phishers often send out safe-looking emails or instant messages that direct someone to an equally safe-looking website where the person might inadvertently enter sensitive information. “Phishing” is a play on the word “fishing”, as in “fishing for passwords, PINs, etc.”

94 Human rights lawyer Clooney : AMAL

Amal Alamuddin married celebrated Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. Alamuddin was born in Beirut, Lebanon and moved with her family to London when she was a toddler. She is a lawyer specializing in international law, with one of her more renowned clients being the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.

95 Like the Dalai Lama : TIBETAN

The Dalai Lama is a religious leader in the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th to hold the office. He has indicated that the next Dalai Lama might be found outside of Tibet for the first time, and may even be female.

102 Take a dive, perhaps : SCUBA

The self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) was co-invented by celebrated French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau.

103 W.W. II threat : U-BOAT

The term “U-boat” comes from the German word “Unterseeboot” (undersea boat). U-boats were primarily used in WWII to enforce a blockade against enemy commercial shipping, with a main objective being to cut off the supplies being transported to Britain from the British colonies and the US. The epic fight for control of the supply routes became known as the Battle of the Atlantic.

114 Japanese soup ingredient : MISO

Miso is the name of the seasoning that makes miso soup. Basic miso seasoning is made by fermenting rice, barley and soybeans with salt and a fungus to produce a paste. The paste can be added to stock to make miso soup, or perhaps to flavor tofu.

115 Children’s author Blyton : ENID

Enid Blyton wrote stories for children that were very popular when I was growing up in Britain and Ireland. Some time back, I purchased and reread my favorite of her stories growing up, a children’s novel called “The Secret Island”.

116 Bird with a reduplicative name : NENE

The nene is a bird that is native to Hawaii, and is also known as the Hawaiian goose. The name “nene” is an imitation of its call. When Captain Cook landed on the islands in 1778, there were 25,000 nene living there. By 1950, the number was reduced by hunting to just 30 birds. Conservation efforts in recent years have been somewhat successful. The nene was named State Bird of Hawaii in 1957.

119 JFK alternative : LGA

The three big airports serving New York City (NYC) are John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR).

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Ones with big heads around the office? : TACKS
6 With 27-Down, island nation near Indonesia : EAST …
10 What OPEC and NATO are both in? : CAPS
14 E, in Morse code : DIT
17 Inauguration Day activity : SWEARING IN
19 Five-times-a-day Islamic prayer : SALAT
20 Word with earth or muscle : … TONE
21 Function whose output is 45° when applied to 1 : ARCTANGENT (CUT “ART”)
22 German : Freundin :: Spanish : ___ : AMIGA
23 Google search info : HITS
24 Some whiskeys : RYES
25 Piece of work : TASK
26 Premium membership designation : ELITE STATUS (CUT “STATS”)
28 End ___ : USER
30 Small row : SPAT
32 Sashimi selection : AHI TUNA
33 Holds : HAS
36 Language of the 18th-century poet Mir Taqi Mir : URDU
38 (0,0), in math : ORIGIN
41 Put on an unhappy face : MOPE
42 It lets you see the sites : INTERNET CONNECTION (CUT “ECON”)
46 Rice dish : PILAF
47 Mess up : ERR
48 Hebrew name meaning “ascent” : ELI
49 Walks (on) : TREADS
53 Talk, talk, talk : GAB
55 “How ___!” : RUDE
57 Contents of some banks : SNOW
59 Hyphenated beverage brand : HI-C
60 Holders of multiple passports : DUAL CITIZENS (CUT “LIT”)
65 Transcript fig. : GPA
66 Give a hoot? : JEER
67 Values highly : ESTEEMS
68 Trouble : ADO
69 Soothe : ASSUAGE
71 [Ignore that edit] : STET
72 Honey ___ (Special K flavor) : OAT
74 First openly lesbian anchor to host a major prime-time news program : RACHEL MADDOW (CUT “CALC”)
77 Pond fish : KOI
78 Not looking good at all : DIRE
80 Follow closely : TAIL
81 Goth relative : EMO
82 “What in the …!” : SON OF A …
85 $$$ for old age : IRA
87 ___ soap : LYE
88 Brutes : OGRES
92 Ones fighting for change : POLITICAL ACTIVISTS (CUT “CALC”)
97 Reindeer in “Frozen” : SVEN
99 Start of a rendezvous request : MEET ME …
100 2019 jukebox musical featuring the song “Proud Mary” : TINA
101 Sun-kissed, say : TAN
102 Funny business? : STANDUP
104 Zip : NADA
106 “___ a Crime” (2016 Trevor Noah memoir) : BORN
108 Hempseed product : CANNABIS OIL (CUT “BIO”)
111 Property claim : LIEN
113 One might be good or evil : OMEN
117 Michael ___ of “Ugly Betty” : URIE
118 End of an era? : ONE BC
119 Bringing up the rear : LAST IN LINE (CUT “LATIN”)
121 Tops : BEST
122 Kind of syrup that’s an alternative to honey : AGAVE
123 Homeland of many Paiute and Shoshone : GREAT BASIN
124 Grate expectations? : ASH
125 “Spy Kids” actress Hatcher : TERI
126 “So true!” : AMEN!
127 One of two poles : ANODE

Down

1 “May God bless and keep the ___ … far away from us!” (“Fiddler on the Roof” line) : TSAR
2 Bad way to go : AWRY
3 Winans with 12 Grammys : CECE
4 Panko-breaded chicken dish : KATSU
5 Sp. title : SRA
6 Fence line? : EN GARDE
7 A long time : AGES
8 Drops in water : SINKS
9 Purchase for Wile E. Coyote : TNT
10 Sleeveless undergarment, informally : CAMI
11 Settled (on) : ALIT
12 Event with a crowning moment : PAGEANT
13 Store : STASH
14 Pull out all the stops : DO IT UP
15 Not sharp, perhaps : IN TUNE
16 Thompson of “Sorry to Bother You” : TESSA
18 Summer ___ : INTERN
19 Soda cracker, by another name : SALTINE
20 Choice words? : THAT ONE
26 Pull in : EARN
27 See 6-Across : … TIMOR
29 Microsoft’s answer to the iPad : SURFACE
31 “I’m so sorry for you!” : POOR DEAR!
33 Trendy : HIP
34 Alex and ___ (jewelry chain) : ANI
35 Mo. metropolis : STL
37 Early development sites : UTERI
39 Extended-wear manicure options : GELS
40 Added bonus, metaphorically : ICING
43 Aerie baby : EAGLET
44 Celia known as the “Queen of Salsa” : CRUZ
45 Words of admission : IT WAS ME
50 Stop ___ (sign) : AHEAD
51 Muralist Rivera : DIEGO
52 Goof (around) : SCREW
54 Kind of data distribution with two peaks : BIMODAL
56 Finish with : END AT
58 Tometi who co-founded Black Lives Matter : OPAL
60 Newsroom sights : DESKS
61 “So are we!” : US TOO!
62 Used Grubhub or Postmates, say : ATE IN
63 ___ Ing-wen, first female president of Taiwan : TSAI
64 Alleged : SO-CALLED
66 Traditional attire for some martial artists : JUDOGI
70 Ornate tea vessel : SAMOVAR
73 Overdone : TRITE
75 “Howdy!” : HIYA!
76 Put in a seat, perhaps : ELECT
79 Lakeside city that’s at one end of I-79 : ERIE
83 Result of pulling the goalie : OPEN NET
84 Jane of “9 to 5” : FONDA
86 “Don’t misbehave!” : ACT NICE
89 Q followers : -R-S-T
90 Letter that rhymes with three other letters : ETA
91 Phishing target, for short : SSN
93 Encroach : IMPINGE
94 Human rights lawyer Clooney : AMAL
95 Like the Dalai Lama : TIBETAN
96 Part of the joke : IN ON IT
97 Gawps : STARES
98 Go away : VANISH
102 Take a dive, perhaps : SCUBA
103 W.W. II threat : U-BOAT
105 Ringing in the new day? : ALARM
107 Katie of ESPN : NOLAN
109 Brown or blacken : SEAR
110 “Duh!,” in modern slang : OBVI!
112 [Nodding] : [I SEE]
114 Japanese soup ingredient : MISO
115 Children’s author Blyton : ENID
116 Bird with a reduplicative name : NENE
119 JFK alternative : LGA
120 Dallas and Houston are in it, in brief : NBA