1113-21 NY Times Crossword 13 Nov 21, Saturday

Constructed by: Adam Aaronson
Edited by: Will Shortz

Today’s Theme None

Bill’s time: 15m 56s (yep, the same as yesterday, to the second!)

Bill’s errors: 0

Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies

Across

1 Maker of the Karma quadcopter drone : GOPRO

GoPro is a company that makes high-definition video cameras that have a rugged design. Famously, GoPro cameras are used in extreme conditions. For example, they are often mounted on moving vehicles or used by people playing sports. Recently, two astronauts on the International Space Station inserted a GoPro camera inside a floating ball of water, and then showed the view from inside the ball of water. Amazing footage …

6 East Timor’s capital : DILI

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.

10 Call to a mate : G’DAY

In Australia, one might say “G’day” to one’s mate/pal.

14 Like white-eyes and wheatears : AVIAN

“Avis” is the Latin word for “bird”, giving rise to our adjective “avian” meaning “relating to birds”.

15 River that’s a letter off from 20-Across : URAL
(20A Sea that’s a letter off from 15-Across : ARAL …)

The Ural River rises in the Ural Mountains in Russia and flows for half its length through Russian territory until it crosses the border into Kazakhstan, finally emptying into the Caspian Sea. It is the third-longest river in Europe, after the Volga and Danube. The Ural is often cited as defining a long stretch of the border between Europe and Asia, although the exact position of that border is open to debate.

16 Default result, maybe : REPO

Repossession (repo)

18 Capital whose name means “smoky bay,” referencing the steam from its hot springs : REYKJAVIK

Reykjavik is the capital city, and indeed the only city, of Iceland. It is also the most northerly capital city of any country. It isn’t very large, relatively speaking, with a population of only 200,000 in the Greater Reykjavik Area.

20 Sea that’s a letter off from 15-Across : ARAL …
(15 River that’s a letter off from 20-Across : URAL)

The Aral Sea is a great example of how man can have a devastating effect on his environment. In the early sixties the Aral Sea covered 68,000 square miles of Central Asia. Soviet irrigation projects drained the lake to such an extent that today the total area is less than 7,000 square miles, with 90% of the lake now completely dry. Sad …

22 ___-friendly (ecolabel) : OZONE

Ozone gets its name from the Greek word “ozein” meaning “to smell”. It was given this name as ozone’s formation during lightning storms was detected by the gas’s distinctive smell. Famously, there is a relatively high concentration of the gas in the “ozone layer” in the Earth’s stratosphere. This ozone layer provides a vital function for animal life on the planet as it absorbs most of the sun’s UV radiation. A molecule of ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms (O3), whereas a “normal” oxygen (O2) has just two atoms.

23 Netflix series that caused a 2017 surge in Eggo sales : STRANGER THINGS

“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi horror TV show made for Netflix that aired its first season in 2016. I don’t do horror, and so haven’t seen it …

26 Stadium refrain : OLE! OLE!

The Greek word “stadion” was a measure of length, about 600 feet. The name “stadion” then came to be used for a running track of that length. That “running track” meaning led to our contemporary word “stadium” (plural “stadia”).

27 Palme d’Or field : CINE

“Cinéma” is French for “cinema”, and is often shortened to “ciné”.

The “Palme d’Or” (or “Golden Palm” in English) is the highest award given at the Cannes Film Festival. The Palme d’Or goes to the director of the film that is selected as the best shown at the festival that year. The palm was selected as an emblem for the award as there is a palm featured on the coat of arms of the Commune of Cannes.

31 Not-so-big shot : BBS

A BB gun is an air pistol or rifle that shoots birdshot known as BBs. Birdshot comes in a number of different sizes, from size 9 (0.070″ in diameter) to size FF (.230″). Birdshot that is size BB (0.180″ in diameter) gives the airgun its name.

35 Donnie ___, title role for Jake Gyllenhaal : DARKO

Jake Gyllenhaal’s most famous role has to be as co-star with Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain”, but he has also had lead roles in big movies like “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Jarhead” and “Rendition”.

38 Activity with a drawing of names : SECRET SANTA

The Christmas tradition known as “Secret Santa” is often used for gift-giving by a group of friends or colleagues. Each person is randomly assigned another member of the group to whom they give a gift. The identity of the gift-giver is kept secret, hence the name of the tradition.

41 Epitome : HEIGHT

The more common meaning of “epitome” is “perfect example of a group, quality, type”. An epitome is also an abstract or summary of a book or article.

53 Director Sam : RAIMI

Sam Raimi is a very successful director and producer. He was behind the “Spider-Man” series of films among others, and TV shows such as “Xena: Warrior Princess”. In 1993, Raimi married Gillian Green, the youngest daughter of actor Lorne Greene of “Bonanza” fame. Raimi and Greene named their eldest son Lorne, after his grandfather.

55 Savory sauce made with chocolate : MOLE

Mole sauce comes in various guises, with “mole negro” including everyone’s favorite ingredient, namely chocolate.

57 Home of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque : OMAN

The main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque located in the capital Muscat. The mosque is relatively new in the grand scheme of things, completed in 2001. It is named for Qaboos bin Said al Said, the current Sultan of Oman. The prayer carpet on the floor of the mosque’s prayer hall took four years to complete, and is the second-largest hand-woven carpet in the world (the largest is in the Abu Dhabi mosque).

59 Collection of brains : MENSA

Mensa is a high-IQ society that was founded in Oxford, England in 1946. The founders were two lawyers: Australian Roland Berrill and Englishman Lancelot Ware. Apparently, the elitist founders were unhappy with the development of Mensa, given that most members came from the working and lower classes.

Down

1 Mother (and wife!) of Uranus : GAEA

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 Reading, for instance : RAILROAD

The Reading Railroad, which was absorbed by Conrail in 1976, started out as the Philadelphia and Reading Railway in 1833. The Reading Railway has a square for itself in the original game of Monopoly.

6 “Anyone who has ever worn a ___ spells it ‘___,'” per a 2018 New York Times article : DURAG

Hip-hoppers might wear do-rags (also “durags”) today, but they have been around for centuries. The etymology of “do-rag” is pretty evident, i.e. a piece of cloth (rag) to hold a hairstyle (do) in place.

7 Nobel-winning daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie : IRENE

Along with her husband Frederick, Irene Joliot-Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1935 for their discovery of artificial radioactivity. Irene was the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie, who also won Nobel Prizes. Irene died when she was 58 years old, suffering from leukemia brought on by her exposure to high doses of radiation. Her mother, Marie, died from aplastic anemia, also caused by high exposure to radiation. To this day, Marie’s personal papers are kept preserved in lead-lined boxes as they are highly radioactive, even her personal cookbook.

10 “Prego” preceder : GRAZIE

“Prego” literally means “I pray” in Italian, but it is usually translated into English as “you’re welcome” when it is used in response to a “thank you” (“grazie”, in Italian).

11 County that’s home to Plymouth, England : DEVON

Devon (formerly “Devonshire”) is a county in the southwest of England. The county town of Devon is Exeter, and the largest city in the county is Plymouth, the port from which the Mayflower Pilgrims departed.

Plymouth is a port city on the coast of Devon in the UK. Famously, it was the point of departure for the Mayflower Pilgrims. The city sits at the mouth of the River Plym, hence the name “Plymouth”.

13 Joins : YOKES

A yoke is a wooden beam used between a pair of animals so that they are forced to work together.

19 Heads : JOHNS

The use of “john” as a slang term for a toilet is peculiar to North America. “John” probably comes from the older slang term of “jack” or “jakes” that had been around since the 16th century. In Ireland, in less polite moments, we still refer to a toilet as “the jacks”.

In old sailing ships, the toilet area for the regular sailors was located in the forward part (the head) of the ship. As a result, the term “head” has been used since then for any toilet on board a boat.

31 Eponym of Israel’s largest airport : BEN-GURION

Ben Gurion International (TLV) is Israel’s main airport, and is located in the city of Lod just a few miles southeast of Tel Aviv. The airport is named for David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister.

42 Casual pants material : CHINO

Chino is a twill cloth that is most often used to make hard-wearing pants. The pants have come to be referred to as chinos. Chino cloth was originally developed for use by the military, but quickly became popular with civilians.

44 Lead role in “The Vampire Diaries” : ELENA

“The Vampire Diaries” is a series of horror novels by L. J. Smith that is aimed at teens. There is a spin-off television series of the same name. I don’t do vampires …

45 First person to appear simultaneously on the American and British covers of Vogue (Oct. 2021) : ADELE

“Adele” is the stage name of English singer Adele Adkins. Adele’s debut album is “19”, named after the age she was during the album’s production. Her second album was even more successful than the first. Called “21”, the second album was released three years after the first, when Adele was three years older. Her third studio album “25”, released in 2015, broke the first-week sales records in both the UK and the US.

50 Site of a famous tilt in European history : PISA

The city of Pisa sits right on the Italian coast, at the mouth of the River Arno. The city is perhaps most famous for its Leaning Tower. The tower is actually the campanile (bell tower) of the city’s cathedral, and it has been leaning since it was completed in 1173. Just shows you how important good foundations are …

52 Sport with a big pay-per-view audience, in brief : MMA

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport in which competitors use a variety of techniques from a variety of traditional combat sports and martial arts.

53 Spinning inits. : RPM

Revolutions per minute (rpm)

Complete List of Clues/Answers

Across

1 Maker of the Karma quadcopter drone : GOPRO
6 East Timor’s capital : DILI
10 Call to a mate : G’DAY
14 Like white-eyes and wheatears : AVIAN
15 River that’s a letter off from 20-Across : URAL
16 Default result, maybe : REPO
17 Chilling : EERIE
18 Capital whose name means “smoky bay,” referencing the steam from its hot springs : REYKJAVIK
20 Sea that’s a letter off from 15-Across : ARAL …
21 Hockey star Patrick : KANE
22 ___-friendly (ecolabel) : OZONE
23 Netflix series that caused a 2017 surge in Eggo sales : STRANGER THINGS
26 Stadium refrain : OLE! OLE!
27 Palme d’Or field : CINE
28 Groups with lots of issues to talk through : DEBATE TEAMS
31 Not-so-big shot : BBS
34 Needing to be charged : DEAD
35 Donnie ___, title role for Jake Gyllenhaal : DARKO
36 “Slick” : NEAT
37 Monitor of a tap : SPY
38 Activity with a drawing of names : SECRET SANTA
40 Car music player button : SEEK
41 Epitome : HEIGHT
42 Something good eaters “join” : CLEAN PLATE CLUB
47 Passages in a long story? : HALLS
48 ___ Parker (handbag retailer) : EDIE
49 Suddenly show (up) : CROP
51 “Ah, yes, of course …” : I REMEMBER …
53 Director Sam : RAIMI
54 Lead-in to medicine : NANO-
55 Savory sauce made with chocolate : MOLE
56 Most likely, in a text : PROBS
57 Home of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque : OMAN
58 Got rid of : AXED
59 Collection of brains : MENSA

Down

1 Mother (and wife!) of Uranus : GAEA
2 Stay out for too long? : OVERSLEEP
3 Notorious online hub for illegal file sharing, with “The” : … PIRATE BAY
4 Reading, for instance : RAILROAD
5 With 39-Down, “Wait!” : ONE …
6 “Anyone who has ever worn a ___ spells it ‘___,'” per a 2018 New York Times article : DURAG
7 Nobel-winning daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie : IRENE
8 What bakers might do their level best to make? : LAYER CAKE
9 Sort : ILK
10 “Prego” preceder : GRAZIE
11 County that’s home to Plymouth, England : DEVON
12 Mocking, maybe : APING
13 Joins : YOKES
19 Heads : JOHNS
21 Heavily engaged (in) : KNEE-DEEP
24 ___-country : ALT
25 Chalamet of 2021’s “Dune” : TIMOTHEE
26 9-to-5, e.g. : ODDS
29 You might take the bait from one : TACKLE BOX
30 Foul up : ERR
31 Eponym of Israel’s largest airport : BEN-GURION
32 Scented products that cause underwater “explosions” : BATH BOMBS
33 “Don’t wait!” : STAT!
36 You might have a file for this : NAIL CARE
38 Word with talking or horse : … SENSE
39 See 5-Down : … SEC
40 Shade of pink : SALMON
42 Casual pants material : CHINO
43 2019 Super Bowl loser, for short : LA RAM
44 Lead role in “The Vampire Diaries” : ELENA
45 First person to appear simultaneously on the American and British covers of Vogue (Oct. 2021) : ADELE
46 Played out : TIRED
50 Site of a famous tilt in European history : PISA
52 Sport with a big pay-per-view audience, in brief : MMA
53 Spinning inits. : RPM

10 thoughts on “1113-21 NY Times Crossword 13 Nov 21, Saturday”

  1. 12:56. This one felt more difficult than my time reflects. Just a lot of nibbling at the edges until some of the longer fill like CLEAN PLATE CLUB and STRANGER THINGS fell.

  2. 17:46, (18 seconds longer than yesterday), no errors. I’m not sure I’ve ever before been required to spell REYKJAVIK; the crosses were most appreciated … 😜. And, yes, I would echo Tom’s comments.

  3. 32:06 a lucky guess with “Stranger Things” opened up the top, lucky since I don’t have a NetFlix account. Or cable. Barely over the airwaves TV….

  4. 32:03 – Yep, slid in 3 seconds ahead of Duncan. This was VERY slow going especially the NW corner (could have used the compass from Thurs). I had so many electronic erasures that I couldn’t count them all.

  5. 27:20 with a couple of errors simply because I couldn’t make headway, took guesses and lost. Oh well.

    Like Bill, I don’t do horror either, but I’d seen ads for STRANGER THINGS. I looked it up. Apparently the main character is a big fan of frozen waffles. And that was enough to increase eggo sales? It’s scary how prone to suggestion our society is as a whole. Then again advertisers pay billions every year because of it so I shouldn’t complain.

    Best –

  6. 15:10, no errors. (830 seconds faster than yesterday, for those keeping score. Amazing what difference a crossword puzzle with actual clues in them does.)

  7. Good job glen… Couldn’t make it without errors. Didn’t see GRAZIE or OZONE … Missed EDIE Parker bags because I was thinking 25D was TIMOTHER for some reason.

    I actually thought I was dead from the get-go. Had nothing for 5 minutes the chunk by chunk… so I feel good about what I was able to accomplish..

  8. 22:37, no errors. Looked like I wouldn’t even get a start in this one, until about halfway through the clues. Initially entered ILK in 9D, but erased it because I thought there was no way the letter series -YKJ- would ever work.
    Note to Bill: The Tower of Pisa started leaning after the first two tiers were finished. Over the 200 year construction period, subsequent architects mitered the upper tiers to compensate for the tilt. This is most noticeable when looking carefully at the bell chamber on the top.

  9. Almost declared a DNF because of some unknowns with no help from crosses. Got lucky with a few wild guesses that seemed to make some sense so I squeaked by with no errors.

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