1002-21 NY Times Crossword 2 Oct 21, Saturday

Constructed by: Wendy L. Brandes
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme None

Bill’s time: 19m 15s

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Bagel choices : SESAMES

The bagel was invented in the Polish city of Kraków in the 16th century. Bagels were brought to this country by Jewish immigrants from Poland who mainly established homes in and around New York City.

16 ___ d’état : RAISON

The French term “raison d’état” translates as “reason of state”. It is used in English to describe a justification for a nation adopting a foreign policy that puts itself first.

22 Student in College Station, Tex. : AGGIE

Texas A&M is the seventh largest university in the country, and was the first public higher education institute in the state when it accepted its first students in 1876. The full name of the school was the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (hence “A&M”) and its primary mission used to be the education of males in the techniques of farming and military warfare. That’s quite a combination! Because of the agricultural connection, the college’s sports teams use the moniker “Aggies”. Texas A&M is also home to the George Bush Presidential Library.

25 New Deal program, for short : WPA

The Work Progress Administration (WPA) was the largest of the New Deal agencies. The WPA employed millions of people during the Depression, putting them to work on various public works projects. The total spending through the WPA from 1936 to 1939 was nearly $7 billion. We have to give the federal government credit for taking an enlightened view of what types of projects qualified for financial support, so artists who could not get commissions privately were hired by the government itself. The result is a collection of “New Deal Art”, including a series of murals that can be found in post offices around the country to this day.

The New Deal was the series of economic programs championed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression. The New Deal was focused on three objectives, the “3 Rs”:

  1. Relief for the unemployed and poor
  2. Recovery of the economy to normal levels
  3. Reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression

27 Props for some plays? : OBIES

The Obies are the Off-Broadway Theater Awards. The Obies have been presented annually since 1956. The recipients used to be chosen by “The Village Voice” newspaper, but now are jointly administered with the American Theatre Wing.

“Props” is North American slang for “proper respect”.

29 “The Godfather” actor : CAAN

James Caan is an actor from the Bronx, New York City. He is noted for his appearances in some very big movies such as “The Godfather”, “Misery”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Rollerball” and more recently “Elf”. Caan is quite the sportsman. He plays golf with an 8 handicap, and is a 6-Dan Black Belt Master of Gosoku Karate.

30 Accords, e.g. : SEDANS

The American sedan car is the equivalent of the British and Irish saloon car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in Britain and Ireland), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

Honda started manufacturing its Accord model in Marysville, Ohio in 1982, making the Accord the first Japanese car to be produced in the US. The Accord was the best-selling Japanese car in America from 1982 to 1997, and 1989 was the first import to become the best-selling car in the US.

32 Date you might not put on the calendar : TRYST

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.

38 Big name in Deco : ERTE

“Erté” was the pseudonym of French (Russian-born) artist and designer Romain de Tirtoff. “Erté” is the French pronunciation of his initials “R.T.” Erté’s diverse portfolio of work included costumes and sets for the “Ziegfeld Follies” of 1923, productions of the Parisian cabaret show “Folies Bergère”, as well as the 1925 epic movie “Ben-Hur”. Erté’s most famous work by far is an image titled “Symphony in Black”. It depicts a tall and slender woman dressed in black, holding a black dog on a leash.

40 Subjects of the 2018 book “Seeds of Science,” for short : GMOS

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one with genetic material that has been altered by genetic engineering. One might argue that the oldest form of genetic engineering is selective breeding, the use of animals or plants with desired traits for the creation of the next generation.

45 Item of prison contraband : SHIV

“Shiv” is a slang term describing a weapon crudely fashioned to resemble a knife. Mostly we hear of shivs that have been fashioned by prison inmates to do harm to others.

51 Dr.’s order : MRI

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine uses powerful magnetic fields to generate images that can be used by medical professionals to diagnose injury and disease.

55 Filers of amicus briefs, often : ALLIES

An “amicus curiae” is a “friend of the court”, and is a concept that originated in Roman law. An amicus curiae is someone who assists a court in a decision, without being a party to the case in question.

56 Place to get a cab : WINE RACK

The cabernet sauvignon (often just “cab”) grape has been around since the 17th century, and is the result of a chance crossing in southwestern France of the cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.

Down

3 Heavy hitter : SLEDGE

A sledgehammer is a big hammer, one used to apply a lot of force. The word “sledgehammer” comes from the Anglo Saxon “Slaegan” meaning “to strike violently”. “Slaegan” is also the root of the words “slag”, “slay” and “slog”.

5 Café du ___ (landmark shop in New Orleans’s French Quarter) : MONDE

Café du Monde (“Café of the World”) is a famous coffee shop located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The café has been there a long time, having been established in 1862.

9 Refueling spot : OASIS

An isolated area of vegetation in a desert is called an oasis (plural “oases”). As water is needed for plant growth, an oasis might also include a spring, pond or small lake. We often use the term “oasis” more generally to describe a haven, a place of rest.

10 Window part : SILL

“Sill plate”, or simply “sill”, is an architectural term describing a bottom horizontal member to which vertical members are attached. Window sills and door sills are specific sill plates found at the bottoms of windows and door openings.

27 Like the years of most presidential inaugurations : ODD

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.

28 Quick fix : BAND-AID

“Band-Aid” is a brand name owned by Johnson & Johnson, although like many popular brands “band-aid” has become the generic term for an adhesive bandage, at least here in North America. The generic term we use in Britain and Ireland for the same product is “plaster” …

31 Pair seen three times in “All’s Well That Ends Well” : ELS

There are three pairs of letters L (els) in the title of Shakespeare’s play “All’s Well That Ends Well”.

“All’s Well That Ends Well” is a play by William Shakespeare, one with elements of both tragedy and comedy. As such, “All’s Well That Ends Well” is classified as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays”, plays of his that cannot be neatly classified as either tragedy or comedy.

32 Lao-___ : TSE

Lao Tse (also “Lao-Tzu”) was a central figure in the development of the religion/philosophy of Taoism. Tradition holds that Lao-Tzu wrote the “Tao Te Ching”, a classical Chinese text that is fundamental to the philosophy of Taoism.

33 Lawn game seen regularly on ESPN beginning in 2017 : CORNHOLE

Cornhole is a game in which contestants throw bean bags towards a tilted-up platform with a hole in it. Bags that land in the hole score 3 points, and bags that land on the board score 1 point.

35 Mini-albums, for short : EPS

An extended-play (EP) record, CD or download contains more music than a single, but less than an LP.

36 Alaskan king, e.g. : SEA CRAB

Fishing for Alaskan king crab is a dangerous occupation, about 80 times more dangerous that the average job. Apparently, about one crab fisherman dies every week during the fishing season, mostly from drowning or hypothermia.

39 Posers are forever saying it : CHEESE

Photographers often instruct us to say “cheese” to elicit a smile-like expression. Even Japanese photographers use the word “cheese” to achieve the same effect. Bulgarians use the word “zele” meaning “cabbage”. The Chinese say “eggplant”, the Danish “orange”, the Iranians “apple” and many Latin Americans say “whiskey”.

41 The hare, but not the tortoise : MAMMAL

Hares belong to the genus Lepus. Young hares under one-year-old are called leverets.

There are several main characteristics distinguishing mammals from other animals:

  • Mammals have fur or hair
  • Mammals are warm-blooded
  • Mammals are born alive
  • Mammals feed their young with milk produced by mammary glands
  • Mammals have relatively complex brains

42 One way to serve chili : ON RICE

The full name of the dish that is often called simply “chili” is “chili con carne”, Spanish for “peppers with meat”. The dish was created by immigrants from the Spanish Canary Islands in the city of San Antonio, Texas (a city which the islanders founded). The San Antonio Chili Stand was a popular attraction at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and that stand introduced the dish to the rest of America and to the world.

43 Nowheresville, with “the” : STICKS

“The sticks” is a slang term meaning “rural area”.

46 Painter with a famous garden : MONET

French artist Claude Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement, and indeed the term “Impressionism” comes from the title of his 1872 painting “Impression, Sunrise”. That work depicts the port of Le Havre, which was Monet’s hometown. Later in his life, Monet purchased a house in Giverny, and famously installed lily ponds and a Japanese bridge in the property’s extensive gardens. He spent two decades painting the water lily ponds, producing his most famous works. I was fortunate enough to visit Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny a few years ago. A beautiful place …

48 Muse of history : CLIO

In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. The number of muses is a subject of debate at times, but the most popular view is that there are nine:

  • Calliope (epic poetry)
  • Clio (history)
  • Erato (lyric poetry)
  • Euterpe (music)
  • Melpomene (tragedy)
  • Polyhymnia (choral poetry)
  • Terpsichore (dance)
  • Thalia (comedy)
  • Urania (astronomy)

54 Leftover morsel : ORT

Orts are small scraps of food left after a meal. “Ort” comes from Middle English, and originally described scraps left by animals.

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Bagel choices : SESAMES
8 Info on a medicine bottle : DOSAGE
14 How a first date is experienced : ONLY ONCE
16 ___ d’état : RAISON
17 Penalty for a polluter : GREEN TAX
18 Biased : ASLANT
19 Sprout : LAD
20 Pearl Harbor hero for whom a future U.S. aircraft carrier is scheduled to be named : DORIS MILLER
22 Student in College Station, Tex. : AGGIE
24 Some bags in boxes : TEAS
25 New Deal program, for short : WPA
26 Judge : DEEM
27 Props for some plays? : OBIES
29 “The Godfather” actor : CAAN
30 Accords, e.g. : SEDANS
32 Date you might not put on the calendar : TRYST
33 Ate the last cookie, say : COULDN’T RESIST
36 Goes bad : SOURS
37 Intensify : DEEPEN
38 Big name in Deco : ERTE
39 What’s the big deal? : CARDS
40 Subjects of the 2018 book “Seeds of Science,” for short : GMOS
44 At least one : ANY
45 Item of prison contraband : SHIV
46 Was serious about : MEANT
47 Like mysterious matters, often … or hotels : CHECKED INTO
51 Dr.’s order : MRI
52 Cigarette that’s assembled by hand, informally : ROLLIE
53 Cost-effective : ECONOMIC
55 Filers of amicus briefs, often : ALLIES
56 Place to get a cab : WINE RACK
57 Feel it the next day : BE SORE
58 Goes gently to the bottom : SETTLES

Down

1 “Great news!” : SO GLAD!
2 Bring to a boil : ENRAGE
3 Heavy hitter : SLEDGE
4 Floor support : AYE
5 Café du ___ (landmark shop in New Orleans’s French Quarter) : MONDE
6 Within: Prefix : ENTO-
7 Leave a mark : SCAR
8 Most Best Picture winners : DRAMAS
9 Refueling spot : OASIS
10 Window part : SILL
11 Invariably : AS ALWAYS
12 Lapped, e.g. : GONE PAST
13 One in the running : ENTRANT
15 Canned lines? : EXIT INTERVIEW
21 Blows a gasket : SEES RED
23 “Uh-huh” : I’M SURE
27 Like the years of most presidential inaugurations : ODD
28 Quick fix : BAND-AID
29 [awkward] : [CRINGE]
31 Pair seen three times in “All’s Well That Ends Well” : ELS
32 Lao-___ : TSE
33 Lawn game seen regularly on ESPN beginning in 2017 : CORNHOLE
34 Screams over : OUTYELLS
35 Mini-albums, for short : EPS
36 Alaskan king, e.g. : SEA CRAB
39 Posers are forever saying it : CHEESE
41 The hare, but not the tortoise : MAMMAL
42 One way to serve chili : ON RICE
43 Nowheresville, with “the” : STICKS
45 Lift user : SKIER
46 Painter with a famous garden : MONET
48 Muse of history : CLIO
49 TV series with Agt. Leroy Jethro Gibbs : NCIS
50 Something you might watch with your parents : TONE
54 Leftover morsel : ORT