Constructed by: David Steinberg
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s …
… syndicated NY Times crossword
Today’s Theme: Change of Heart
There’s a note with today’s puzzle:
The middle letter of the answer to each starred clue can be replaced by a different letter to form two new words across and down. Read the new letters, in order, for a bonus.
As we descend the grid, those middle letters can change to: V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E. Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day, everyone!
- 23A *Opposite of endearing : UNLIKABLE (V in “unlivable”)
- 24A *Freely expressive : UNINHIBITED (A in “uninhabited”)
- 46A *Communicating (with) : INTERFACING (L in “interlacing”)
- 49A *Contracting : SHRINKING (E in “shrieking”)
- 69A *Harsh language : INVECTIVE (N in “inventive”)
- 87A *Watered artificially : IRRIGATED (T in “irritated”)
- 89A *Goes well with : COMPLEMENTS (I in “compliments”)
- 113A *Noisy disagreement : ALTERCATION (N in “alternation”)
- 116A *Ordered : COMMANDED (E in “commended”)
Read on, or jump to …
… a complete list of answers
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Bill’s time: 15m 49s
Bill’s errors: 0
Today’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Bank offerings, in brief : CDS
A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a less-flexible and higher-paying savings account. Instead of depositing money into a savings account and earning interest periodically, one can open a CD. With a CD one deposits a minimum amount of money but must leave it there for a specified length of time. In return for committing the funds for a fixed period, one is given a higher interest rate than a savings account and can redeem that interest and the initial deposit when the term has expired. CDs are relatively low-risk investments as they are FDIC insured, just like savings accounts.
9 Losing roll at dice : CRAP
To crap out is to make a losing roll on the first throw in a game of craps. A losing roll (aka “a crap”) is a roll of 2, 3 or 12.
21 Tart sorbet flavor : LIME
“Sorbet” can mean different things around the world. Here in the US, sorbet is a non-fat frozen dessert that is made without any dairy content.
22 Kind of bed : MURPHY
A Murphy bed is a bed that pulls from a wall for use, and is folded up into a closet or cabinet when not in use. The bed is named for its inventor William Murphy. The story is that Murphy lived in a one-room apartment in San Francisco, and was interested in dating a local opera singer. Moral standards at the time prevented him from inviting the young lady into a room with a bed, so he created an arrangement where his room became a parlor during the day.
26 Winter eaves dropper : ICE
The eaves are the overhanging edges of a roof that project beyond the supporting wall. The term “eaves” evolved from the Old English “efes” meaning “edge”.
27 Some attacks on castles : SIEGES
Our word “siege” comes from a 13th-century word for a “seat”. The military usage derives from the concept of a besieging force “sitting down” outside a fortress until it falls.
31 12-year-olds, e.g. : TWEENS
The term “tween” is used to describe preadolescence, the years “between” 8 and 12 years of age.
34 Ballerina’s bend : PLIE
The French word for “bent” is “plié”. In the ballet move known as a plié, the knees are bent. A “demi-plié” is a similar move, but with less bending of the knees. A fondu is similar to a plié, except that only one leg remains on the ground.
35 App whose icon features a camera, in slang : INSTA
Instagram (often abbreviated to “Insta”) is a photo-sharing application, one that is extremely popular. Instagram started in San Francisco in 2010. Facebook purchased Instagram two years later, paying $1 billion. The billion-dollar Instagram company had just 13 employees at the time of the sale …
37 Aimee with two Grammys : MANN
Aimee Mann is a rock singer and guitarist from Virginia. Mann is married to Michael Penn, the brother of actor Sean Penn.
38 Plank targets : ABS
The plank is an isometric exercise that strengthens the abdominals, as well as the back and shoulder muscles. There are variations of the plank, such as the side plank and the reverse plank.
41 Only trisyllabic rainbow color : INDIGO
The name of the color “indigo” ultimately comes from the Greek “indikon” meaning “blue dye from India”.
“Roy G. Biv” can be used as a mnemonic for the colors in a rainbow:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Indigo
- Violet
43 Ferrari of automotive fame : ENZO
Enzo Ferrari was an Italian race car driver, and founder of the Ferrari car manufacturing company. Ferrari died in 1988, and in 2003 the company named the Enzo model after its founder.
58 Relative of an alpaca : LLAMA
Alpacas are like small llamas, but unlike llamas were never beasts of burden. Alpacas were bred specifically for the fleece. As such, there are no known wild alpacas these days, even in their native Peru.
60 “A Christmas Carol” cry : BAH!
The classic 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens has left us with a few famous phrases and words. Firstly, it led to popular use of the phrase “Merry Christmas”, and secondly it gave us the word “scrooge” to describe a miserly person. And thirdly, everyone knows that Ebenezer Scrooge uttered the words “Bah! Humbug!”.
63 Fifth sign : LEO
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac. People born from July 23 to August 22 are Leos.
68 Nickname in baseball and gossip columns : A-ROD
Professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez earned more nicknames than just “A-Rod”. He has been called “the Cooler” by some players as there was a perception that teams went cold when he joined them and hot when he left. He has also been called “A-Fraud” by teammates because of another perception, that he is over-demanding. Rodriguez was in a world of hurt not so long ago, for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. He retired from baseball in 2016.
Apparently, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez started dating retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez in February 2017. The couple became engaged in March 2019, but that relationship ended in 2021.
74 Brand seen at speedways : STP
STP is a brand name of automotive lubricants and additives. The name “STP” is an initialism standing for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”.
76 French menu phrase : A LA
The phrase “in the style of” can be translated as “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.
85 Frank Robinson or Brooks Robinson of the Baseball Hall of Fame : ORIOLE
Frank Robinson is a former baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. For the last two years of his playing career, Robinson played for, and also managed, the Cleveland Indians. That made him the first African American to serve as manager in the history of Major League Baseball.
Brooks Robinson played baseball for the Baltimore Orioles for the whole of his MLB career, from 1955 to 1977. Many believe that Robinson was the great defensive third baseman to play the game. He was given the nickname “The Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his ability to “suck up” ground balls.
95 Canine coat : ENAMEL
The outer layer of our teeth is made from enamel. It covers the dentin layer, which supports the enamel.
The canine teeth of a mammal are also called the eyeteeth or cuspids. The name “canine” is used because these particular teeth are very prominent in dogs. The prefix “eye-” is used because in humans the eyeteeth are located in the upper jaw, directly below the eyes.
98 Island with a trisyllabic name : OAHU
Oahu has been called “The Gathering Place”, although the word “O’ahu” has no translation in Hawaiian. It seems that “O’ahu” is simply the name of the island. One story is that it is named after the son of the Polynesian navigator who first found the islands. The island is made up of two volcanoes, Wai’anae and Ko’olau, joined together by a broad valley, the O’ahu Plain.
108 Suffix with labyrinth : -INE
A labyrinth is a maze, and is named after the maze in which the Minotaur was confined in Greek mythology.
109 Czar known as “the Great” : PETER I
Peter I and Ivan V were half-brothers who served as joint Tsars of Russia between the years 1682 and 1696. Peter was the most influential of the duo by far, and after Ivan died Peter went on to bring Russia into a new age earning himself the moniker “Peter the Great”.
112 Once called : NEE
“Née” is the French word for “born” when referring to a female. The male equivalent is “né”. The term “née” is mainly used in English when referring to a married woman’s birth name, assuming that she has adopted her husband’s name, e.g. Michelle Obama née Robinson, Melania Trump née Knavs, and Jill Biden née Jacobs.
120 Service with a Capitol Corridor route : AMTRAK
Amtrak is the name used commercially by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. “Amtrak” comes from a melding of the words “America” and “track”.
122 Without accompaniment : A CAPPELLA
A cappella music is sung without instruments accompanying. “A cappella” translates from Italian as “in the manner of the chapel”.
124 Ones in hills or farms : ANTS
Anthills are actually underground nests. The ants in the colony excavate below ground, resulting in a pile of sand or soil above ground.
“Formicary” is another name for “ant nest”, and comes from the Latin “formica” meaning “ant”. The phrase “ant colony” describes the ants living in an ant nest. A formicarium is similar to an aquarium, and used to house an ant colony perhaps for study. The phrase “ant farm” is usually reserved for ant nests built by an ant colony in a formicarium.
126 The dark side : YIN
The yin and yang can be illustrated using many different metaphors. In one, as the sun shines on a mountain, the side in the shade is the yin and the side in the light is the yang. The yin is also regarded as the feminine side, and the yang the masculine. The yin can also be associated with the moon, while the yang is associated with the sun.
Down
1 Brains of a tech start-up? : CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) is the main component on the motherboard of a computer. The CPU is the part of the computer that carries out most of the functions required by a program. Nowadays you can get CPUs in everything from cars to telephones.
5 Neighbor of Nev. : IDA
The US state of Idaho has a panhandle that extends northwards between Washington and Montana, right up to the border with Canada. Across that border is the Canadian province of British Columbia. Most of Idaho is in the Mountain Time Zone, but Northern Idaho (the Panhandle) is in the Pacific Time Zone.
7 ___ sandwich : DELI
The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”.
9 Task for a crossword constructor : CLUEING
“Cruciverbalist” is a term developed in the 1990s to describe crossword enthusiasts. The word comes from the Latin for cross (crux) and word (verbum). “Cruciverbalist” is sometimes limited to those who actually construct the puzzles. Over on the other side of the Atlantic, we often call such people “setters”.
11 Bon ___ : AMI
Bon Ami cleanser was introduced just a few years after Bon Ami soap went to market in 1886. The cleanser was marketed by emphasizing its “non-scratch” properties. The label showed a chick coming out of an egg, the idea being that a newly hatched chick hasn’t yet scratched the ground looking for worms and insects.
15 The “teardrop of India” : SRI LANKA
The island nation of Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast of India. The name “Sri Lanka” translates from Sanskrit into English as “venerable island”. Before 1970, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, a name given to the country during British rule.
17 “Dark Lady” hitmaker, 1974 : CHER
“Cher” is the stage name used by singer and actress Cherilyn Sarkisian. Formerly one half of husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher, she is often referred to as the Goddess of Pop. In her acting career, Cher was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar of 1984 for her performance in “Silkwood”. She went further in 1988 and won the season’s Best Actress Oscar for playing Loretta Castorini in “Moonstruck”.
18 ___ Park, N.Y. : HYDE
Hyde Park, New York was the hometown of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt’s estate is called Springwood and is now managed by the National Park Service. It’s a great place to visit, and if you do so, don’t forget to see the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site just a couple of miles away, and there you can tour the cottage in which the president’s wife spent much of her time.
20 Christianity’s ___ Creed : NICENE
What is known today in the Christian tradition as the Nicene Creed, was originally adopted by the first ecumenical council when it met in 325 AD. The meeting took place in the city of Nicaea, which gave its name to this particular profession of faith. Nicaea is the Greek name of the city that is now called Iznik, and it lies in the northwest of Turkey.
28 Good witch in Oz : GLINDA
In the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz”, Glinda is the Good Witch of the North, played by actress Billie Burke. As an aside, Burke was the wife of Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. who produced the “Ziegfeld Follies” on Broadway. As another aside, Glinda wasn’t the Good Witch of the North in the original L. Frank Baum book, but was the Good Witch of the South.
31 “That’s enough about your sex life!” : TMI!
Too much information (TMI)
40 Having three unequal sides : SCALENE
A scalene triangle is one in which all three sides are of unequal length.
42 Equal: Prefix : ISO-
“Iso-” is a combining form meaning “equal” that comes from the Greek “isos”, which translates as “the same as”. Strictly speaking, “iso-” should only be used with words of Greek origin. The prefix “equi-” has the same meaning and should be used with words of Latin origin.
44 Outmoded storage device : ZIP DRIVE
Zip drives were hugely popular in the late nineties. Made by Iomega, Zip drives and their portable Zip disks were used the same way as standard 3.5-inch floppy drives and disks. But, Zip disks had a much, much higher storage capacity.
48 Smitten : IN LOVE
“Smitten” is the past participle of “to smite”, meaning “to inflict a heavy blow”. We tend to use “smitten” to mean “affected by love, love-struck”.
53 Like a tug-of-war rope : TAUT
Tug-of-war is a strength competition between two teams who pull on opposite ends of a rope, vying to pull the opponents over a marked line. The sport was an event in the Summer Olympic Games from 1900 until 1920. The USA teams won all three medals for the tug-of-war at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis.
56 Scientist whose name is associated with a number : AVOGADRO
The Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro postulated that if two different gases have the same volume (at the same temperature and pressure), then each of the gases contains the same number of atoms or molecules. Related to this theory is a constant number that later became known as Avogadro’s number.
59 Heavy medieval weapons : MACES
A mace is a relatively simple weapon in essence. It is a heavy weight on the end of a handle that is used to deliver powerful blows on an opponent’s body.
62 Hot condiment : WASABI
Sometimes called Japanese horseradish, wasabi is a root used as a condiment in Japanese cooking. The taste of wasabi is more like mustard than a hot pepper in that the vapors that create the “hotness” stimulate the nasal passages rather than the tongue. Personally, I love the stuff …
63 Italian bread that’s no longer made : LIRE
The word “lira” is used in a number of countries for currency. “Lira” comes from the Latin for “pound” and is derived from the British pound sterling, the value of a Troy pound of silver. For example, the lira (plural “lire”) was the official currency of Italy before the country changed over to the euro in 2002.
66 Some camping excursions : RV TRIPS
Recreational vehicle (RV)
70 H.S. subject : ECON
Economics (econ.)
73 “La Tauromaquia” artist : GOYA
Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter who was often called the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Two of Goya’s most famous works are “The Nude Maja” and “The Clothed Maja”.
83 Literally, “revenge” : VENDETTA
“Vendetta” is the Italian word for “blood feud”, and is especially associated with the island of Corsica.
84 Org. that evaluates toothbrushes : ADA
American Dental Association (ADA)
88 Singer ___ Marie : TEENA
Teena Marie was a very successful R&B singer who was born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California.
90 Epoch when palm trees grew in Alaska : EOCENE
The Eocene Epoch lasted from 56 to 34 million years ago. The name “Eocene” comes from the Greek “eos” meaning “dawn” and “kainos” meaning “new”. This is a reference to the “new dawn” for mammals, which emerged during the Eocene epoch.
93 Big ___ : SUR
Big Sur is a lovely part of the California Coast located south of Monterey and Carmel. The name “Big Sur” comes from the original Spanish description of the area as “el sur grande” meaning “the big south”.
105 9-5 automaker, once : SAAB
A SAAB 9-5 is a high-end car that you can buy over here in the US. Back in Sweden, the 9-5 was used as a cop car, I believe.
106 Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO
The “Sesame Street” character named Elmo has a birthday every February 3rd, and on that birthday he always turns 3½ years old. The man behind/under Elmo on “Sesame Street” for many years was Kevin Clash. If you want to learn more about Elmo and Clash, you can watch the 2011 documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey”.
107 “At Last” singer James : ETTA
The 1942 song “At Last” was written for the 1941 musical film “Sun Valley Serenade” in which it is performed by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. Etta James recorded a version of “At Last” in 1960, after which it became her signature song.
110 Almond ___ (toffee brand) : ROCA
Almond Roca is a brand of chocolate-covered toffee that has a coating of ground almonds, and was invented in 1923.
111 Computer with a Pro model : IMAC
The Mac Pro is the most powerful line of computers made by Apple. The level below the Mac Pro is the iMac, Apple’s all-in-one line of desktops that is most popular. The Mac Mini is Apple’s least powerful desktop, and the smallest. The Mini uses mainly laptop components.
115 H+ or I- : ION
Here is a list of all the single-letter element symbols:
- B = boron
- C = carbon
- F = fluorine
- H = hydrogen
- I = Iodine
- K = potassium
- N = nitrogen
- O = oxygen
- P = phosphorus
- S = sulfur
- U = uranium
- V = vanadium
- W = tungsten
- Y = yttrium
117 A ticket may be given for a high one: Abbr. : MPH
Miles per hour (mph)
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Complete List of Clues/Answers
Across
1 Bank offerings, in brief : CDS
4 Twists : WINDS
9 Losing roll at dice : CRAP
13 In itself : AS SUCH
19 Piece played with four hands : PIANO DUET
21 Tart sorbet flavor : LIME
22 Kind of bed : MURPHY
23 *Opposite of endearing : UNLIKABLE (V in “unlivable”)
24 *Freely expressive : UNINHIBITED (A in “uninhabited”)
26 Winter eaves dropper : ICE
27 Some attacks on castles : SIEGES
29 Día de ___ Muertos (Mexican holiday) : LOS
30 Stories that may or may not be true : LORE
31 12-year-olds, e.g. : TWEENS
34 Ballerina’s bend : PLIE
35 App whose icon features a camera, in slang : INSTA
37 Aimee with two Grammys : MANN
38 Plank targets : ABS
41 Only trisyllabic rainbow color : INDIGO
43 Ferrari of automotive fame : ENZO
46 *Communicating (with) : INTERFACING (L in “interlacing”)
49 *Contracting : SHRINKING (E in “shrieking”)
52 Acceptance principle of improv comedy : YES, AND …
53 2-year-old, e.g. : TOT
54 What may connect the parts of a school assignment? : STAPLE
55 “Who ___?” : CARES
58 Relative of an alpaca : LLAMA
60 “A Christmas Carol” cry : BAH!
61 Dress in : DON
62 Things people catch and then ride : WAVES
63 Fifth sign : LEO
64 Actress Hepburn : AUDREY
67 Poke : PROD
68 Nickname in baseball and gossip columns : A-ROD
69 *Harsh language : INVECTIVE (N in “inventive”)
71 Up : HIKE
72 Loses firmness : SAGS
73 Country with the most archaeological museums in the world (110+) : GREECE
74 Brand seen at speedways : STP
75 Cut off : SEVER
76 French menu phrase : A LA
77 Sushi chef’s eggs : ROE
78 Uncle for whom an annual award is supposedly named : OSCAR
80 Not so many : FEWER
81 When nothing goes right : BAD DAY
83 Dutch name starter : VAN …
85 Frank Robinson or Brooks Robinson of the Baseball Hall of Fame : ORIOLE
87 *Watered artificially : IRRIGATED (T in “irritated”)
89 *Goes well with : COMPLEMENTS (I in “compliments”)
94 Turn in a game : MOVE
95 Canine coat : ENAMEL
97 Instant, informally : SEC
98 Island with a trisyllabic name : OAHU
99 Sat around : IDLED
101 In the thick of : AMID
103 Ending remark that’s surprising : KICKER
105 Starting point : SEED
108 Suffix with labyrinth : -INE
109 Czar known as “the Great” : PETER I
112 Once called : NEE
113 *Noisy disagreement : ALTERCATION (N in “alternation”)
116 *Ordered : COMMANDED (E in “commended”)
120 Service with a Capitol Corridor route : AMTRAK
121 Promote aggressively : TOUT
122 Without accompaniment : A CAPPELLA
123 Crows : BOASTS
124 Ones in hills or farms : ANTS
125 Luxury vessel : YACHT
126 The dark side : YIN
Down
1 Brains of a tech start-up? : CPU
2 Racket : DIN
3 Noticeable : SALIENT
4 Roused from a nap : WOKEN
5 Neighbor of Nev. : IDA
6 Barely usable pencils : NUBS
7 ___ sandwich : DELI
8 Like some roller coaster drops : STEEP
9 Task for a crossword constructor : CLUEING
10 Washed quickly : RINSED
11 Bon ___ : AMI
12 Instrument used in a medical checkup : PENLIGHT
13 Out of whack : AMISS
14 Vessel with a hatch, informally : SUB
15 The “teardrop of India” : SRI LANKA
16 Not exceeding : UP TO
17 “Dark Lady” hitmaker, 1974 : CHER
18 ___ Park, N.Y. : HYDE
20 Christianity’s ___ Creed : NICENE
25 Word with code or card : HONOR …
28 Good witch in Oz : GLINDA
31 “That’s enough about your sex life!” : TMI!
32 Pallid : WAN
33 Some have combinations : SAFES
36 Like J, alphabetically : TENTH
39 English majors’ degs. : BAS
40 Having three unequal sides : SCALENE
42 Equal: Prefix : ISO-
44 Outmoded storage device : ZIP DRIVE
45 Witness : ONLOOKER
47 Some breads : RYES
48 Smitten : IN LOVE
50 British exclamation : I SAY!
51 One of three for German nouns, or one of four for those in Africa’s Zande language : GENDER
53 Like a tug-of-war rope : TAUT
55 One may go off in the middle of the night : CAR ALARM
56 Scientist whose name is associated with a number : AVOGADRO
57 Wine list section : REDS
59 Heavy medieval weapons : MACES
60 Robot sound : BEEP
62 Hot condiment : WASABI
63 Italian bread that’s no longer made : LIRE
65 Comply with a peace treaty, maybe : DISARM
66 Some camping excursions : RV TRIPS
67 “I’m relieved!” : PHEW!
70 H.S. subject : ECON
73 “La Tauromaquia” artist : GOYA
75 Come off as : SEEM
77 Went ballistic : RAGED
79 “Easy there!” : COOL IT!
80 Small particle : FLECK
82 Binder inserts with tabs : DIVIDERS
83 Literally, “revenge” : VENDETTA
84 Org. that evaluates toothbrushes : ADA
86 Good cheer : OLE!
88 Singer ___ Marie : TEENA
89 Joins firmly : CEMENTS
90 Epoch when palm trees grew in Alaska : EOCENE
91 In an obvious way : NAKEDLY
92 All-time connector : … THE …
93 Big ___ : SUR
96 Plan in detail : MAP OUT
100 Puppy “kisses” : LICKS
102 Rot : DECAY
104 Ill-suited : INAPT
105 9-5 automaker, once : SAAB
106 Muppet who refers to himself in the third person : ELMO
107 “At Last” singer James : ETTA
110 Almond ___ (toffee brand) : ROCA
111 Computer with a Pro model : IMAC
114 Ship pest : RAT
115 H+ or I- : ION
117 A ticket may be given for a high one: Abbr. : MPH
118 Man’s name derived from the Bible : ELI
119 Man’s name derived from the Bible : DAN
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