Constructed by: August Miller
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Reveal Answer: Dot the Is
Some squares in today’s grid have a DOT over a letter I. The letter I is used in the across-answers, and the letters DOT are used in the down-answers:
- 62A Attend to details … or a hint to entering six Down answers in this puzzle : DOT THE IS
- 17A Polite Spanish assent : SI, SENORA
- 22A “The time for diplomacy has passed” : IT’S WAR
- 28A Letters of qualification : IMO
- 38A French agreements : OUIS
- 54A Denny’s competitor : IHOP
- 4D Southern border city in a Larry McMurtry title : LAREDO, TEXAS
- 7D Certain martial arts takedown : JUDO THROW
- 10D Trendy brunch order : AVOCADO TOAST
- 25D “It’s not hard to guess how this will end” : YOU DO THE MATH
- 33D Underwater weapon-launching apparatus : TORPEDO TUBE
- 40D Spotty pattern : POLKA DOTS
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Bill’s time: 12m 32s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Sharp bend : DOGLEG
A dogleg on a golf course is a hole that bends to the left or right. The name comes from the shape of a dog’s hind leg.
7 Tipping point? : JAR
Put a tip in a tip jar.
10 Intro course? : APP
Appetizer (app)
16 Home of the Boston Mountains : OZARKS
The Ozark Mountains aren’t really mountains geographically speaking, and so the Ozarks are better described by the alternate name, the Ozark Plateau. It’s not really certain how the Ozarks got their name, but my favorite theory is that “Ozarks” is the phonetic spelling of “aux Arks”, short for “of Arkansas” in French.
17 Polite Spanish assent : SI, SENORA
In Spanish, a “dama” (lady) might be referred to as “Señora” (Mrs.).
18 Online fad : MEME
A meme (from “mineme”) is a cultural practice or idea that is passed on verbally or by repetition from one person to another. The term lends itself very well to the online world where links, emails, files etc. are so easily propagated.
25 “___ Blues” (song on the Beatles’ “White Album”) : YER
“Yer Blues” is a John Lennon song, credited to Lennon and McCartney, that is a track on “The White Album”, recorded in 1968. Lennon recorded the song while the band was on retreat in Rishikesh, India, and while Lennon was “trying to reach God and feeling suicidal”.
26 Treatment plants? : ALOES
Aloe vera is a succulent plant that grows in relatively dry climates. The plant’s leaves are full of biologically-active compounds that have been studied extensively. Aloe vera has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, mainly for topical treatment of wounds.
28 Letters of qualification : IMO
In my opinion (IMO)
31 Sweet sign-off : XOXO
In the sequence letter sequence “X-O-X”, the X represents a kiss, and the O a hug. “O-O-O” is a string of hugs, and “X-X-X” a string of kisses. Hugs and kisses …
32 Trees sacred to Hecate : YEWS
Hecate (sometimes “Hekate”) was a three-faced goddess in the Greek and Roman traditions. She was associated with many phenomena, including magic and witchcraft.
33 Prey for a heron : TOAD
Herons are birds with long legs that inhabit freshwater and coastal locales. Some herons are routinely referred to as egrets, and others as bitterns. Herons look a lot like storks and cranes, but differ in their appearance in flight. Herons fly with their necks retracted in an S-shape, whereas storks and cranes have their necks extended.
34 ___ Poovie (“Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” character) : LOU-ANN
Jim Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith and brought onto “The Andy Griffith Show” as Gomer Pyle, the gas station attendant. Famously, Nabors then got his own show called “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” On the new show, Gomer had a girlfriend, Lou-Ann Poovie, played by Elizabeth Macrae.
Jim Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith and brought onto “The Andy Griffith Show” as Gomer Pyle, the gas station attendant. Famously, Nabors then got his own show called “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” Gomer had a cousin on the “The Andy Griffiths Show” called Goober Pyle. Goober was played by George Lindsay. Lindsay had auditioned for the Gomer part, but that went to Nabors.
39 Stone with “fire” and “water” varieties : OPAL
Fire opals are almost transparent, unlike other opals that are richly iridescent. Although almost transparent, fire opals usually have a warm yellow, orange or red color. The most famous fire opals are also called Mexican fire opals, and come from the state of Querétaro in north-central Mexico.
Girasol is a type of opal that exhibits a bluish glow when illuminated. The stone is also known as “water opal”, especially when sourced from Mexico.
44 Unspecified ordinal : NTH
Ordinal numbers express a position in a series, i.e. first, second, third etc.
45 Travelocity spokescreature : GNOME
In English folklore, the fairy’s anti-hero is the diminutive gnome, an evil ugly character. Although the charastics of gnomes vary in folklore, typically they are described as diminutive humanoids who live underground. Over the centuries, the gnome has become more lovable. We now have garden gnomes, and even the Travelocity Gnome.
47 Bird found in the mud? : EMU
There is an “emu”, the letters e-m-u”, in “the mud”.
49 Pea, e.g. : LEGUME
Plants called legumes are notable in that they work symbiotically with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, microorganisms found in the root nodules that convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium ions. As nitrogen is an essential component of proteins, legumes are exceptionally rich sources of plant protein. Examples of legumes are peas, beans, lentils and peanuts.
51 “Death of a Salesman” surname : LOMAN
“Death of a Salesman” is a famous play by Arthur Miller that was first produced in 1949. “Death of a Salesman” won a Pulitzer and several Tony Awards over the years. The “Salesman” is the famous character Willy Loman. The play originally opened up on Broadway and ran for 724 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan, and the lead role was played by veteran actor Lee J. Cobb.
53 It may turn slowly in a horror movie : KNOB
That would be a doorknob slowly turning, as you dial 911 …
54 Denny’s competitor : IHOP
The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) was founded back in 1958. IHOP was originally intended to be called IHOE, the International House of Eggs, but that name didn’t do too well in marketing tests.
62 Attend to details … or a hint to entering six Down answers in this puzzle : DOT THE IS
A tittle is a small diacritical mark used in writing. Examples are the cedilla and tilde used in some languages, and the dot over the lowercase letters i and j in English.
Down
3 Rock genre for Roxy Music : GLAM
I remember the days of glam rock so well, as it was a hugely popular genre of music in Britain and Ireland during the early seventies. Artistes wore the wildest of clothes, big hair, shiny outfits and really high platform boots. Names associated with glam rock are T. Rex, David Bowie, Roxy Music and the infamous Gary Glitter.
Roxy Music is a British band formed by Bryan Ferry, who also served as the lead singer. One of the group’s more famous former band members was Brian Eno, someone who turns up in crosswords far too often …
4 Southern border city in a Larry McMurtry title : LAREDO, TEXAS
Laredo is a border city in Texas that is situated on the banks of the Rio Grande, across the border from Nuevo Laredo in Mexico.
Author Larry McMurtry’s most famous novels are 1961’s “Horseman, Pass By” (adapted to film as “Hud”), 1966’s “The Last Picture Show”, 1975’s “Terms of Endearment” and 1985’s “Lonesome Dove” (for which McMurtry won a Pulitzer). He also co-wrote the adapted screenplay for 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain”, which is based on a short story by Annie Proulx.
5 Game measured by its number of points : ELK
The elk (also “wapiti”) is one of the largest species of deer in the world, with only the moose being bigger. Early European settlers were familiar with the smaller red deer back in their homelands, so when they saw the “huge” wapiti they assumed it was a moose, and incorrectly gave it the European name for a moose, namely “elk”. The more correct name for the beast is “wapiti”, which means “white rump” in Shawnee. It’s all very confusing …
6 Elements No. 7, 8, 9 and 10, e.g. : GASES
The chemical element nitrogen (atomic number 7) was first isolated and discovered by Scottish physician and chemist Daniel Rutherford in 1772. Rutherford did not identify nitrogen as an element, but isolated it as a gaseous component of air that did not support combustion, and that he called “noxious air”.
The element oxygen has an atomic number of 8, and has eight electrons within each atom. The name “oxygen” was coined (“oxygène” in French) by Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, from the Greek “oxys” meaning “acid” and the French “-gène” meaning “producer”. It was originally believed that oxygen was needed to make all acids.
Fluorine is a gaseous element with the symbol F and the atomic number 9. It is very reactive, and very dangerous.
Neon was discovered in 1898 by two British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers. They chilled a sample of air, turning it into a liquid. They then warmed that liquid and separated out the gases that boiled off. Along with nitrogen, oxygen and argon (already known), the pair of scientists discovered two new gases. The first they called “krypton” and the second “neon”. “Krypton” is Greek for “the hidden one” and “neon” is Greek for “new”.
7 Certain martial arts takedown : JUDO THROW
Judo is a martial art from Japan that developed relatively recently, in 1882. The name “judo” translates as “gentle way”. Practitioners of judo proceed through a series of proficiency grades known as the kyu-dan system. At each progression, a different colored belt is awarded.
9 ___ monkey : RHESUS
The rhesus macaque is also known as the rhesus monkey. As it is widely available and is close to humans anatomically and physically, the rhesus macaque has been used in scientific research for decades. The rhesus monkey was used in the development of rabies, smallpox and polio vaccines, and it also gave its name to the rhesus factor that is used in blood-typing. It was also rhesus monkeys that were launched into space by the US and Soviet space programs. Humans and macaques share about 93% of their DNA and had a common ancestor about 25 million years ago.
10 Trendy brunch order : AVOCADO TOAST
Avocado toast is trendy, but delicious. My homemade version includes a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper, and a splash of hot sauce. Yum …
23 1982 film set in a mainframe : TRON
Released in 1982, Disney’s “Tron” was one of the first mainstream films to make extensive use of computer graphics. The main role in the movie is played by Jeff Bridges. The original spawned a 2010 sequel called “Tron: Legacy”, as well as a 2012 TV show called “Tron: Uprising”.
27 Key to a quick exit? : ESC
The escape key (Esc) was originally used just to control computer peripherals. It was a key that allowed the computer operator to stop what the peripheral was doing (cancel a print job, for example). Nowadays the escape key is used for all sorts of things, especially in gaming programs.
29 Shark species with the largest brain-to-body ratio : MAKO
The shortfin mako shark can appear on restaurant menus, and as a result the species is dying out in some parts of the world. The mako gets its own back sometimes though, as attacks on humans are not unknown. It is the fastest-swimming shark, and has been clocked at speeds of over 40 miles/hour. And the shark in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”, that’s a mako. “Mako” is the Maori word for “shark” or “shark tooth”.
30 Some E.R. cases : ODS
Someone taking an overdose (OD) often ends up in an emergency room (ER).
33 Underwater weapon-launching apparatus : TORPEDO TUBE
The naval weapon called a torpedo is named for the group of electric rays of the genus “Torpedo”. The name of the fish comes from the verb “torpere”, Latin for “to be stiffened, paralyzed”, which is what happens to someone who steps on an electric ray.
34 Horror star Chaney : LON
Lon Chaney, Sr. played a lot of crazed-looking characters in the days of silent movies. He did much of his own make-up work, developing the grotesque appearances that became his trademark, and earning himself the nickname “the man of a thousand faces”. Most famous were his portrayals of the title characters in the films “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923) and “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925).
40 Spotty pattern : POLKA DOTS
A polka dot pattern is one featuring an array of filled circles, usually of the same size and color. There doesn’t seem to be any connection between the name of the pattern and the polka dance, other than both the dance and the pattern gaining popularity around the same time, in the late nineteenth century.
41 Modifies : AMENDS
The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.The verb “to amend” means “to change for the better, put right, alter by adding”. The related verb “to emend” is used more rarely, and mainly in reference to the editing of professional writing. Both terms are derived from the Latin “emendare” meaning “to remove fault”.
42 Kind of block : LEGO
Lego produces some wonderful specialized sets with which you can build models of celebrated structures, including:
- The Statue of Liberty (2,882 pieces)
- The Sydney Opera House (2,989 pieces)
- The Eiffel Tower (3,428 pieces)
- Tower Bridge (4,295 pieces)
- The Taj Mahal (5,922 pieces)
48 Actor Bomer of “Magic Mike” : MATT
“Magic Mike” is a 2012 movie starring Tatum Channing as a young male stripper. The film’s storyline is loosely based on Channing’s real-life experiences, as he worked as a stripper in Tampa, Florida when he was 18 years old.
50 Gets a ride, in a way : UBERS
The rideshare service Uber takes its name from the English colloquial word “uber” meaning “super, topmost”, which in turn comes from the German “über” meaning “above”.
51 ’65 Ford debuts : LTDS
There has been a lot of speculation about what the abbreviation “LTD” stands for in the car model known as “Ford LTD”. Many say it is an initialism standing for “Luxury Trim Decor”, and others say that it is short for “limited”. Although the car was produced in Australia with the initialism meaning “Lincoln Type Design”, it seems that “LTD” was originally chosen as just three meaningless letters that sound well together.
56 Great Plains tribe : OTOE
The Otoe (also “Oto”) Native American tribe originated in the Great Lakes region as part of the Winnebago or Siouan tribes. The group that would become the Otoe broke away from the Winnebago and migrated southwestward, ending up in the Great Plains. In the plains the Otoe adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on the horse, with the American bison becoming central to their diet.
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Sharp bend : DOGLEG
7 Tipping point? : JAR
10 Intro course? : APP
13 “Fa-a-ancy!” : OO LA LA!
14 Heap praise on : GUSH OVER
16 Home of the Boston Mountains : OZARKS
17 Polite Spanish assent : SI, SENORA
18 Online fad : MEME
19 Pricing word : EACH
21 Just the worst, in slang : SUCKY
22 “The time for diplomacy has passed” : IT’S WAR
24 Women’s soccer and gymnastics powerhouse : USA
25 “___ Blues” (song on the Beatles’ “White Album”) : YER
26 Treatment plants? : ALOES
28 Letters of qualification : IMO
31 Sweet sign-off : XOXO
32 Trees sacred to Hecate : YEWS
33 Prey for a heron : TOAD
34 ___ Poovie (“Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” character) : LOU-ANN
36 Sounds from a pond at night : CROAKS
38 French agreements : OUIS
39 Stone with “fire” and “water” varieties : OPAL
43 “Ish” : OR SO
44 Unspecified ordinal : NTH
45 Travelocity spokescreature : GNOME
46 Make a pick : OPT
47 Bird found in the mud? : EMU
49 Pea, e.g. : LEGUME
51 “Death of a Salesman” surname : LOMAN
53 It may turn slowly in a horror movie : KNOB
54 Denny’s competitor : IHOP
58 “What a pity” : THAT’S SAD
60 Liken : EQUATE
62 Attend to details … or a hint to entering six Down answers in this puzzle : DOT THE IS
63 Applies, as lotion : RUBS ON
64 [Some of us are trying to watch the movie here!] : [SHH!]
65 “Success!” : YES!
66 Trickled : SEEPED
Down
1 Destine for failure : DOOM
2 Trickle : OOZE
3 Rock genre for Roxy Music : GLAM
4 Southern border city in a Larry McMurtry title : LAREDO, TEXAS
5 Game measured by its number of points : ELK
6 Elements No. 7, 8, 9 and 10, e.g. : GASES
7 Certain martial arts takedown : JUDO THROW
8 Word after bad or hard : … ASS
9 ___ monkey : RHESUS
10 Trendy brunch order : AVOCADO TOAST
11 Benefit : PERK
12 Really hope : PRAY
14 Proportionate size for some model trains : G SCALE
15 It’s a lot to carry : ONUS
20 Online status : AWAY
23 1982 film set in a mainframe : TRON
25 “It’s not hard to guess how this will end” : YOU DO THE MATH
27 Key to a quick exit? : ESC
29 Shark species with the largest brain-to-body ratio : MAKO
30 Some E.R. cases : ODS
31 Strike : X OUT
33 Underwater weapon-launching apparatus : TORPEDO TUBE
34 Horror star Chaney : LON
35 Stop start? : NON-
37 2003 cult film known as the “‘Citizen Kane’ of bad movies,” with “The” : … ROOM
40 Spotty pattern : POLKA DOTS
41 Modifies : AMENDS
42 Kind of block : LEGO
45 Afraid to commit, say : GUN-SHY
48 Actor Bomer of “Magic Mike” : MATT
50 Gets a ride, in a way : UBERS
51 ’65 Ford debuts : LTDS
52 “Me! Pick me!” : OH! OH!
55 Locking mechanism : HASP
56 Great Plains tribe : OTOE
57 Await a ruling : PEND
59 “Isn’t that obvious?” : SEE?
61 “___ es eso?” : QUE
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